No Need to Speak
by ironandopal
Summary: A different perspective on VODT. Mostly movieverse. Edmund's final journey to Narnia teaches him many things about himself and about love. First fanfic story ever, please read and review.   Edmund x Caspian
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first ever fan fiction. It is VERY much movieverse and follows the plot very closely - the books don't offer much fuel for the Caspian x Edmund pairing. If you are offended with the boy/boy stuff, don't even bother reading. Please read and review - constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged, but flames are not. I've done my best to edit out grammatical errors, but I'm no English major and if you catch anything particularly horrifying please let me know.  
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**None of the characters, ideas, places, etc. belong to me, they belong to C.S. Lewis, Warner Brothers, etc. - I in no way own or have any claim to them. The first part especially is directly from the movie (I feel like it's a good lead in).**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 1~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

"Your majesty!"

Tavros' deep voice boomed through Caspian's thoughts as the young King stood contemplating the seven faces that hung on the wall of his cabin.

"Enter!" Caspian called to the minotaur.

"My king!" Tavros burst into the room. "My king, there are people in the water! Children by the looks of it!"

Caspian paused for only a second. Children? In the water? The Dawn Treader was very much at sea – how could children have come to be in the water. Unless… The king sprang to his feet and rushed past the minotaur.

The crew was amassed at the bow of the Dawn Treader. As their king approached, the men parted quickly and looked to Caspian for orders.

"Your majesty!" Reepicheep called down from his perch atop the prow. "There are three of them! If we do not get them out of the water immediately, we shall sail right over them!"

Without a word, Caspian dove gracefully over the edge and plunged into the water. He made after a girl who was floundering in the water and seized her around the waist.

"It's alright!" he reassured her. "I've got you!"

"Caspian!" the girl gasped in delight (or perhaps it was just breathlessness)

"Lucy!" he cried happily. For it was indeed Lucy the Valiant. She grinned broadly at him as he pulled her towards the ship.

"Edmund!" Lucy called towards a dark haired boy who had not yet realized that they were being rescued and was still swimming for his life. "It's Caspian!"

"Are we in Narnia?" spluttered the boy, turning in the water.

"Yes!" Caspian laughed "You're in Narnia!"

A fair-haired boy was protesting loudly and fighting wildly against his rescuer. Caspian raised an eyebrow at Lucy, but she merely laughed.

Back on the sturdy deck of the Dawn Treader, the crew gathered around curiously as Lucy was wrapped in a blanket.

"That was thrilling!" Lucy giggled, looking no worse for the wear at being nearly run over by a ship.

"How in the world did you end up here?" Caspian asked her, accepting a blanket of his own.

"I have no idea," Lucy replied, looking slightly puzzled but no less excited.

"Caspian!" a voice rang out behind them.

The young king turned to behold a young man drenched in sea water but looking quite as happy as Lucy. Whereas Lucy had the same fair hair as their eldest brother, High King Peter the Magnificent, Edmund's dark hair was more like that of Queen Susan's. The Just King had grown in the time since Caspian had last beheld him and he was now nearly as tall as Caspian. Although Edmund was not quite as broad in the shoulders as Peter, he was no longer a scrawny little boy and had an casual, loping grace. He had filled out and was a good deal more handsome than Caspian remembered him being.

"Edmund!" he greeted the younger boy, embracing him warmly and wrapping the blanket about him. "It's great to see you!"

"It's great to see you!" Edmund returned.

"Didn't you call for us?" Lucy asked.

"No," Caspian answered her, just as puzzled as the two Pevensies appeared to be. "Not this time."

"Well," Edmund interjected, grinning widely at Caspian, "Whatever the case, I'm just glad to be here."

For the briefest of seconds, the two kings locked eyes and Caspian caught his breath as a slight shock shot up his spine. Edmund's gaze reminded him very much of the Queen Susan's, and the effect was rather unnerving.

At that moment they were interrupted by a high-pitched shriek and the three of them turned to find the third member of the rescued party struggling with a large mouse. Reepicheep's valiant attempts to aid the boy ended in a magnificent scuffle, a hysterical tirade, and an eventual loss of consciousness upon the boy's first-ever encounter with a minotaur. The ungrateful rescuee, it transpired, was a relative of the Pevensies. Eustace, he was called, and having been on board for less than five minutes he was already giving Caspian a headache. Despite Reepicheep's rather tempting suggestions that they "throw him back", Eustace was left in the care of Tavros.

"Men!" Caspian announced to the crew. "Behold our castaways! Edmund the Just and Lucy the Valiant: High King and Queen of Narnia!"

Edmund and Lucy beamed modestly at the men as they bowed in respect to the king and queen of old. Caspian reflected that despite the fact that they were still quite young (and sopping wet, to boot), they appeared to him every inch the legendary royalty that his tutor had once told him tales of. Lucy held herself with dignity; her eyes were kind, and her smile shone upon her face like the dawn. Edmund stood as nobly as a grown man and had a steady, just gaze.

Caspian shook himself mentally, finding that he had been staring at Edmund a bit longer than was appropriate. Perhaps, he thought, Edmund reminded him all too much of Susan. Realizing that Edmund and Lucy were both looking expectantly at him, Caspian gathered himself and led them off to be properly dried.

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><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

"He's grown even more handsome," Lucy sighed, gazing at her reflection.

"Beg pardon?" spluttered her brother, shrugging into a vest.

"Caspian!" Lucy said, "He's changed quite a bit."

"Lucy!" Edmund admonished her "That's Caspian you're talking about! Anyhow, I reckon he fancies Susan still, and we're most likely going to be returned to Cambridge soon, and… and… and you're too young to be thinking about boys like that!"

"That's rubbish," Lucy retorted, "You're only a year older than I am! And back home you're always going on about how unfair it is that we're treated like children! Besides, I'm not saying I fancy him; I was only commenting that he's quite good looking."

Edmund shook his head. Girls! Susan was bad enough about boys, not Lucy too!

Lucy was not entirely wrong in her evaluation, though. Caspian _had _changed, Edmund reflected. Gone was the uncertain prince that the Pevensies had rescued three years prior and in his place stood a king just as magnificent as Peter had ever been. Caspian now held himself with confidence and his noble Telmarine features were indeed quite handsome. His dark eyes were expressive, and at the same time mysterious and unreadable. Upon first being reunited with the older king, Edmund himself had felt a momentary awe.

It was not just Caspian's appearance that had changed either. If the crew of the Dawn Treader was any indication, Caspian was well loved and respected by his subjects. Edmund could not help but feel a stab of jealousy, although he hated himself for it. Here was Caspian, bearing Peter's sword and ruling a country. The contrast to Edmund's life in England where he was treated as a child and a burden was not slight.

This jealousy was not an entirely new feeling to him. Although he had never truly resented Peter for holding the position of High King, Edmund had felt slightly envious of his older brother on more than one occasion. These episodes had mostly occurred in the early years of their reign, and as time went on Edmund had accepted his role and buried those feelings.

Edmund squared his shoulders and followed Lucy, who was making impatient noises at him. He knew all too well that emotions such as jealousy and spite could lead to terrible ends and had long ago resolved to never again allow them to control him.

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><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

Once dry and clothed, the Pevensies joined King Caspian in his cabin. Lucy was delighted in having her cordial and dagger returned to her once more. Caspian had thought Edmund would be just as pleased to see that the relics of the Golden Age had been kept safe, but instead Edmund became rather stoic upon seeing Peter's sword, Rhindon.

"It's yours. Peter gave it to you," Edmund said when Caspian tried to hand the sword to him, and Caspian detected an edge in his voice.

A strange look had flickered across the younger boy's face like a shadow. Did Edmund resent the fact that Peter had chose to present his sword to Caspian rather than to him? That hardly made sense. Edmund had left with Peter; he could not possibly have expected to receive the sword. Perhaps Edmund considered Caspian unworthy of carrying Rhindon? Caspian decided to let the matter pass, and indeed thought that it might have been a figment of his imagination or a trick of the light… or maybe it was his own insecurities that had caused him to misinterpret Edmund's reaction.

In an effort to lighten the moment, Caspian pulled out Edmund's strange flameless lantern that had been left behind.

"I did save this for you though," he grinned at Edmund as he tossed him the lantern.

The moment having passed, the old friends then turned their attention to the current situation. Lucy and Edmund were quite impressed to learn that Caspian had brought peace across Narnia in the time that they had been absent. He told them of his quest to discover the fate of his father's exiled friends, whose faces were the ones that hung on his wall. There was still no clue as to why the younger Pevensies had returned to Narnia, but they all trusted that a reason would be revealed in time and were happy of it for whatever reason.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Alright, this chapter is where I start to go off into my imagination a bit, but it still sticks to the movie plot. Thanks for reading.**

**Once again, I do not own Narnia, the Pevensies, Caspian, etc. I'm just a kid playing with dollies =)**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 2~<strong>

"Isn't it marvelous to be back, Ed!" Lucy exclaimed as they returned to the deck.

"Marvelous," he echoed her, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

The wind ruffled his jet black hair, and he let it sweep away the remnants of the bitter feelings that had assaulted him upon seeing Peter's sword.

_Let it go. _He told himself firmly._ This is becoming a bad habit, and you've barely been back for a few hours!_

"Oh I can't wait to see the mermaids again!" Lucy cried, looking much happier than Edmund had seen her for some time.

"Mermaids!" he scoffed jokingly. "We've been hoping for ages to return to Narnia, and your first thought is to visit with the mermaids?"

Caspian chuckled behind them.

"You are free to go about the ship as you please, My Queen. I daresay that if you join Sir Reepicheep you will have a good view of the sea and the mermaids" he winked at the girl.

"Thanks Caspian!" the young Queen called over her shoulder, already dancing away merrily.

Caspian smiled after her, still laughing slightly. He turned towards Edmund to find the younger king regarding him with that unfathomable gaze. For the span of a few breaths, the two simply looked at one another without saying anything. Caspian felt as though he were being drawn into those cocoa hued orbs, as if something in them called to him.

"So…" Edmund cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. "I suppose with all this peace in Narnia you're not nearly as handy with a sword as you used to be."

Caspian grinned, recognizing the challenge.

"Perhaps – but I daresay I can still bring you to your knees Ed."

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><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

Edmund and Lucy re-adapted to life in Narnia as though they had never left. Their cousin Eustace did not cope nearly as well and was at most times either complaining loudly and or retching over the side of the ship (and doing the latter just as loudly). Reepicheep took it upon himself to be unofficial guardian ('playing nanny', as Edmund called it) to the nuisance of a boy – a decision that was not received at all well by Eustace. Despite the freckled boy's protests, however, Reepicheep persisted and it relieved everyone else of responsibility for the boy. It also happened to be a great source of entertainment for crew and royalty alike.

Caspian welcomed the new companionship that Lucy and Edmund provided. Although the king got on well with the crew and captain, he was always their king first. The Pevensies had saved him and helped him claim his throne three years ago, but they had been returned to their world before he had really begun his reign. They had known him before he was a king, and treated him as a friend and an equal.

Lucy helped wherever she could. She was all over in the galley, and her nimble fingers were extremely adept at mending anything that was set before her. The Valiant Queen threw herself whole-heartedly into her tasks and her bubbling personality lifted the hearts of all those around her. Even Drinian was occasionally seen with a small smile on his face, although the surly captain would never admit to it. The crew of the Dawn Treader loved their Queen and Caspian was no exception. For the king, though, it was the older Pevensie who lifted his spirits the most.

Edmund's presence was a great pleasure indeed. As an orphan prince in Telmar, Caspian had lacked the companionship of brothers or playmates. In Edmund, he found the kind of bond that he had longed for as a boy. The two kings became closer than ever and spent nearly every waking minute together. Edmund was eager to aid Caspian and the crew in any way that he could and proved to be a valuable asset to the Dawn Treader. During the Golden Age the Kings and Queens had made many voyages and Edmund was familiar with the seas.

In their down time the two kings would joke and spar together, sometimes with the crew or Lucy joining in. Caspian and Edmund would stay up late into the night talking about many different things. Edmund told Caspian about the Pevensies' world and Caspian told Edmund of the battles that had been fought in the past three years or of his childhood in Telmar. They confided their worries to one another – Caspian about the lords of Telmar and their disappearance and Edmund about the war back home. Often the two of them would simply sit together in comfortable silence, watching the sea and the stars. It was at these times that they would, occasionally, happen to glance at each other and their eyes would lock for a moment or so. Eventually, one or the other would look away and they would both appear to forget that anything had occurred.

During the hustle and bustle of the daytime, Caspian would sometimes find himself stealing glances at Edmund. He would watch Edmund's brow furrow as he concentrated on a task or observe his graceful movements as he sparred with a crew member. Once or twice, Caspian thought that Lucy might have caught him staring at her brother. The queen never said a word, but she would sometimes give him a rather knowing smile.

While he lay in his hammock one night, letting the gentle rocking of the ship lull him to sleep, Caspian found himself watching Edmund. The raven haired boy looked serene and almost beautiful as he slept. Caspian felt a sudden urge to reach over and caress the boy's pale face. Instead, he rolled onto his other side and convinced himself that it was nothing more than a brotherly affection that he felt towards his friend.

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><p>Whoosh!<p>

Caspian felt the breeze of Edmund's sword a mere inch above his head as he ducked under the blade. The Just King had been a legendary swordsman in the Golden Age, and Caspian delighted in the challenge that their matches provided. Edmund grinned mischievously at him as they circled one another. The clash of swords was as exhilarating as anything to both of the boys, and the crew was enjoying the show immensely. Caspian could not help but enjoy the excuse to maintain eye contact with the younger man for a prolonged period of time. The electricity and tension that the mutual gaze produced was almost tangible and Caspian half wondered if anyone else could feel it.

With a great effort, Caspian went in for what he was certain was a victory, only to find that Edmund had him in an equally compromising position. Panting, the two men stood with their faces a breath's distance apart, bodies almost touching, and eyes still locked. The moment seemed to stretch in time, so that it might have lasted an hour or a year – and then the crew's enthusiastic cheering broke through the connection.

"You've grown stronger my friend!" Caspian declared, grasping Edmund's shoulder in an attempt to cover any awkwardness.

"It seems I have," Edmund replied, still gazing up into the Telmarine's eyes with a grin that was almost shy.

Caspian noticed Lucy observing the pair rather speculatively and turned away to catch his breath. Although a good fight will leave any swordsman short of breath and with a pounding heart, Caspian was certain that he would have been in the same condition even if there had been no sword play involved. He shook himself mentally and resolved to avoid putting himself in such a position again.

_You a king!_ He berated himself silently. _You cannot allow yourself to come undone over something as ridiculous as this. It's Edmund! He is an old friend; do not make more of it than there is._

Fortunately for the slightly unraveling king, he did not have long to dwell on his inner turmoil.

"Land ho!"

Everyone rushed to catch the first glimpse of the Lone Islands. The port of Narrowhaven looked desolate and still. No sounds reached their ears but the cry of the gulls.

"Strange," Caspian announced, passing the telescope to Edmund, "Not a Narnian flag in sight."

"But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's!" Edmund declared.

"Seems suspicious," Drinian growled.

"I say we prepare a landing party," Edmund proclaimed. "Drinian?"

There was a heavy pause and Drinian half-glanced at Caspian.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," he addressed Edmund, "But the chain of command starts with King Caspian on this ship."

Another pause… "Right."

Caspian glanced at Edmund and the same look that had passed across the raven haired boy's face when he saw Peter's sword was present again. This time Caspian was sure he had not imagined it, and this time it pained him to see it. To be sure, it was gone as soon as they moved to action, but it had been there all the same.

Caspian had been through a similar experience once before with Peter, when he had first summoned the Kings and Queens of old to Narnia. He had not in fact been the king at that time, though, and he had not cared for Peter in the way that he had come to care for Edmund. The look of resentment that had passed over the Just King's face tore at Caspian's heart and brought to surface all of his doubts. Edmund had ruled over Narnia with his brother and sisters for many years, whereas Caspian had only held throne for three years yet. Did Edmund doubt Caspian's abilities as a king, just as Peter had?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Again, I do not own any character, place, etc, etc... they are all the property of their respective owners. I know that this is kind of slow reading, but it'll get better - bear with me =)**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 3~<strong>

_**Edmund**_

As the longboats approached shore Edmund glanced sideways at Caspian. Since arriving in Narnia for the third time, Edmund had come to respect Caspian as a king and had grown to care for him as a friend. Back in Cambridge Edmund had not made many acquaintances. Lucy was his only friend and although he loved her very much, a younger sister was no replacement for a good mate.

King or not, Caspian had treated Edmund as an equal and a friend. While at sea they had worked and played side by side. Edmund had come to regard Caspian almost as an older brother, albeit one quite different from his true brother, Peter.

The emotions that Caspian provoked in Edmund were strange. There was affection, to be sure, but it was somehow unfamiliar. It was different from what Edmund had ever felt for anyone, certainly not how he felt towards his brother and sisters. He would sometimes catch the older king's eye and suddenly feel overwhelmed with an odd sensation that he could not put a name to. It was a strange buzzing feeling, as though a low voltage shock was running through him, but it was pleasant (unless it resulted in him walking headlong into doors or walls, which had happened once or twice, or losing attention while sparring) Nothing was ever said on the matter, but Edmund was almost sure that Caspian too felt the electricity that sprang to life when they were in close proximity to one another.

Now, however, as Edmund sat beside Caspian he felt the old resentment that had flared up earlier lurking beneath the surface. Drinian had been as courteous as possible, but the message was clear as glass – Caspian's word was ultimately what mattered. It was High King Peter pulling rank all over again: there was always someone who held a higher authority.

_It's not right! _Although even in his head, the words sounded childish and petty. _I've lead just as many armies; I've fought just as many battles – more even! I've ruled much longer than Caspian. He wouldn't even be king if we had not helped him!_

Immediately a wave of guilt washed over him. He caught Caspian looking at him with an odd expression, slightly concerned and almost sad. Perhaps his introspection had caused Edmund to appear worried or ill. He offered his friend a small smile of reassurance. Caspian grinned back and clapped him on the shoulder. The tingling feeling that was becoming all too familiar to Edmund replaced whatever lingering anger that had remained.

_What in Aslan's name is wrong with me?_ he thought as they disembarked from the longboats and clambered onto steady ground. _All these bloody mood swings – I'm quite as bad as a girl!_

Unbeknownst to either of the young men, Queen Lucy sat observing the wordless dialogue between the two and smiled inwardly. Boys could be so silly! Mighty Kings and warriors or not, Lucy felt that the two of them were being rather daft.

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><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

"You will regret this!" Caspian yelled at the backs of the retreating men through the bars of the dungeon doors.

He kicked the door and cursed loudly before kneeling beside Edmund. Edmund had fought ferociously against their captors, struggling with all his might to get to his sister. In the end, it had taken three men to subdue the boy. He had been thrown unceremoniously onto the dungeon floor and was still unconscious. Caspian lifted Edmund into a more comfortable position and checked his pulse and breathing, then visually examined his friend. There were many bruises and several minor scrapes, but overall Edmund did not look to be seriously hurt. Caspian could not resist brushing his knuckles over boy's cheek before standing once more.

Caspian hoisted himself up to look out of the barred window. They were very high off the ground, and even if they were able to break through the window there was no guarantee that they'd be able to escape. Caspian took a few steadying breaths and leapt back to the floor. Surely Drinian and his men would be planning a rescue mission, but Caspian was not the sort of man who was content to sit and wait to be rescued. Having no better plan, Caspian ran at the door and kicked it very hard, which effectively did nothing other than make a very loud noise. The noise, however, did seem to bring Edmund around.

Behind Caspian, Edmund groaned and sat up looking much as one would if they had drank a whole barrel of Narnian wine the night before.

"You alright?" Caspian asked him.

"Yeah," Edmund got to his feet. His face was etched with worry and Caspian could tell that his friend's thoughts were only of his sister and how he could get her back.

Caspian's heart almost broke upon seeing Edmund's concern. No matter how worried Caspian was, his feelings must be nothing compared to a brother's agony at having his sister taken. He attacked the door again with new fervor.

"It's hopeless," a voice came out of the darkness in the back of the dungeons, "You'll never get out."

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><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

Edmund swallowed hard and fought back a rising wave of panic.

"We have to find Lucy," he looked at Caspian desperately, "Before it's too late."

"We will," Caspian looked into his eyes and spoke with such conviction that Edmund felt slightly reassured.

Lord Bern shook his head sadly.

"You'd best find your Lucy soon. If she is sold, you will have very little chance of finding her and if she is given to The Mist…"

His warning hung ominously in the stale air of the dungeon. Edmund could not bear the thought of his sister being sold to one of those horrible men or chained to a boat and fed to the mysterious green mist that had taken the other prisoners. Caspian placed a hand gently on his shoulder. To Edmund, that comforting hand was all that kept him from losing his head completely right then.

"All right you lot!"

The slave traders had returned. They shackled the prisoners' hands and forced them up the stairs. Edmund blinked as they emerged into the blazing sunlight. From below, he could hear bidders calling out their offers. Were they bidding on Lucy? He saw Caspian, who was being marched ahead of him, looking down into the square. He craned his neck to get a look as well, which earned him a sharp jab in the back from his captor. He winced, but the pain was forgotten as a new cry reached his ears.

"For Narnia!"

That was all that was needed – Edmund's and Caspian's reactions were immediate. Caspian swung at the guard nearest to him and Edmund leapt onto the man as Caspian turned to push another over the wall. Edmund brought the man to his knees and wrapped his chains around his victim's throat.

"Get the keys!" he shouted to Lord Bern.

Once the shackles were removed, the two Kings made short work of the remaining guards. Meanwhile, a fantastic battle had broken out in the square. The people of Narrowhaven, who had long lived in fear of the slave traders, had rose to the occasion and were now fighting alongside the Narnians. Men, women, and even children were attacking every trader in sight with a fierceness that could only come from years of oppression and torment. With their aid the battle was soon won and there was not a single trader that had not fallen or imprisoned.

Even Eustace, it appeared, had done his part. When they later returned to the boats, the ring leader of the slave traders was found floating in the water. To Edmund's great surprise, his cousin confessed that it was his doing, yet was surprisingly silent about the whole affair.

The party of the Dawn Treader left Narrowhaven among cheers. The bodies of the fallen traders had been heaped onto carts and carried away to be burned. The blood that had been spilled was washed away and the debris of various smashed objects had been swept up. The citizens of Narrowhaven were in a joyous and celebratory mood and crowds lined the walkways down to the port.

"My King!"

Edmund turned, but it was Caspian that the man walking toward them sought after. He held a sword that was encrusted with the evidence of being buried away for many years, yet Edmund recognized it immediately.

"That's an old Narnian sword!" he exclaimed.

"It's from your Golden Age," Lord Bern affirmed.

_Our age. Mine and Lucy's. Back when we ruled. Now we are just relics of the Golden Age like this sword._

The thought had come unbidden, and with it the bitterness that Edmund was now associating with reminders of that long ago time. He struggled to suppress the feeling of resentment that rose in him as Lord Bern presented Caspian with the sword. As they turned to go, he took a deep breath and focused all his strength on reigning in his emotions.

"Edmund."

He forced his face into a neutral expression and turned, willing himself to maintain his composure. To his amazement, Caspian held the sword towards him. Edmund took the sword. He looked into Caspian's eyes and tried to find the words to express what he was feeling, but the look on his friend's face told him that there was no need to speak.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: You'll be happy to hear (or see rather) that I've begun to deviate from the movie plot line a little bit. Thanks for hanging in there if you've made it to this point. Please read and review. Please be critical if you can! Muchas gracias.**

**And of course - I do not own Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Narnia... you get the picture. NOT MINE! **

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><p><strong>~Chapter 4~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

The crew of the Dawn Treader, now joined by Rhince from Narrowhaven and his stowaway daughter Gael, remained in high spirits despite the gravity of their mission. The weather was good and the sailing conditions fine. They continued East, settling back into their comparatively quiet life at sea.

Lucy, being the only woman on board, took Gael under her wing. Gael adored the Queen and followed after her like a puppy. Having been raised in a world ruled by slave traders, the girl was a brave child and did not shy away from work. In fact, Caspian considered the girl to be much more helpful than Eustace, who spent hours on end scribbling in his diary and generally being a nuisance.

Edmund spent a good deal of his spare time restoring the ancient Narnian sword. Although it was slow work, he appeared to take a great amount of joy in it. He would work away at the layers that covered the blade tirelessly and would still be at it late at night as he sat up talking with Caspian.

When Lord Bern had approached them with the sword, Caspian had seen that look that he so dreaded fall upon Edmund's brow and without a second thought had made his decision. He would have been happy to give up Peter's sword and carry the one from Lord Bern, but he knew that Edmund would not accept Rhindon. The look that Edmund gave him when Caspian handed him the sword had warmed the king's heart. It was not just an expression of gratitude; something else lay behind it and it had filled Caspian with a hope that he had seen the last of that dark shadow on Edmund's face.

Since that moment, Edmund's attitude had changed subtly. He deferred to Caspian's decisions, and even sought approval from the older king before giving even the most trivial of commands. It wasn't just that though – to Caspian, it was as though the events in the Lone Islands had brought them even closer together. Whether it was his imagination or not, the Telmarine was unsure, but it seemed that they would find themselves standing and sitting nearer to each other or finding an excuse to casually brush against the other more often. When they sat up late, he could almost feel the other boy's hand so close to his that it could not have been any nearer without touching it.

On one such night the two of them sat wordlessly on the deck, the conversation having died off, and each was immersed in his own thoughts. Caspian studied Edmund from the side, watching the dark hair fluttering across the other boy's brow. Edmund turned and looked directly into Caspian's eyes just as he had many times before.

"Ed…" he began hoarsely, feeling a desire to keep the moment from being lost as it had so many times before.

He could feel Edmund's breath, warm on his face in contrast to the cool night air. Without thinking, he brought his hand to the pale face and cupped it gently. Edmund leaned into the caress and Caspian's heart quickened and pounded against his ribcage like a drum.

Thunk!

Something shifted below deck and the pair started and quickly moved apart. Neither one of them spoke as they stood and retreated to bed, but Edmund shot him a small, furtive grin. Caspian lay awake for a long time, heart still beating madly in his chest. When he finally fell to sleep, his dreams were haunted with the pale face of the Just King.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

"Ed! Edmund Pevensie!"

"Huh?" Edmund looked at his sister who was waving her hand energetically in front of his face and wearing an expression that was half exasperation and half amusement.

"I've only been talking to you for a full minute!" she informed him. "You've been in an entirely different world – which we already are, so you might as well come back to this other world."

"Sorry Lu," he made an apologetic face and wrenched his thoughts away from the night before and the feel of Caspian's hand on his cheek. "What were you saying?"

"I was _saying_ that I've been thinking a lot lately about why we're here and whether this mightn't be our last time in Narnia."

"What? Why?" he started back in on the blade of his sword and struggled with a particularly stubborn bit of grime.

"Well… it's just that we're not very much younger than Peter and Sue were on their last trip to Narnia. What if we're here to… I dunno… to learn what we need to grow up?" Lucy paused and bit her lip before continuing softly. "Ed… what if we never get to come back?"

Edmund looked up at his sister's anxious expression and considered what she had said. He had been so preoccupied with their search for the Lords of Telmar and with his increasingly complicated relations with Caspian that he had nearly forgotten that they would, of course, be going back to England eventually. Now that Lucy had said something, though, he rather wished that she hadn't. Going back to Cambridge was not something that he wanted to face. Although he missed the rest of their family greatly, they would still be an ocean apart even in their home world. The idea of going back to the Scrubb residence was less appealing to Edmund even than facing the unknown terrors of the Eastern Sea.

"Well Lu," he replied slowly, still prying at the same stubborn chunk of filth that clung to his blade, "I don't know. I suppose that if we aren't meant to come back, then there's not much we can do about it, is there? We just have to trust that Aslan knows what's best for us…" Edmund trailed off and tried his best to think of a way to reassure his sister. The trouble was, now that he was thinking about it, he was just as apprehensive as she was.

"Is that really how you feel, Ed?" the younger girl was looking at him somewhat shrewdly. "Would you really be okay with the idea of never coming back – never seeing Caspian or Reepicheep or Aslan ever again?"

Edmund sighed and looked out at the sparkling waves that surrounded them. If he was honest with himself, the answer was no. Leaving Narnia would be heartbreaking, and leaving Caspian… well, he didn't know if there was even a word in existence for what he would feel if he had to say goodbye.

"No," he told Lucy. "I don't think I would be. But it's going to happen one way or another. I reckon we'll just have to do our best to learn what we can and… and…" he turned his face from his sister and cleared his throat. "Let's not worry about it just now Lu. We can't even be certain that this is our last time here. What is it that Peter and Sue learned that meant they were grown up anyhow? Maybe it's not our time yet."

"Well…" Lucy said rather slyly, "Susan learned how to kiss a king."

Edmund whipped his head around and mouthed wordlessly at her as she smiled innocently at him and returned to the corner of the deck where Gael sat mending shirts.

"That's completely off the point!" he shouted after her, but it sounded rather feeble even to his own ears.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Don't own any of it, not a bit. Please review! Oh, and I changed the title 'cause the original one was a doozy. Also, I'm working on a Lupin/Lily story, which is more creative than this. Maybe you could take a peek at it once I get it up?**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 5~<strong>

**_Caspian_  
><strong>

"_Dark Island. A place where Evil lurks."_

_Coriakin looked at each of them in turn, his eyes seeming to see pierce right to their very souls. Caspian glanced at Edmund. Both of them had encountered the White Witch before; both of them knew what it was like to be tempted by darkness and Evil. _

"_That sword you carry," Coriakin pointed at the sword on Edmund's belt, "There are six others."_

"_Have you seen them?" Edmund asked, but Caspian already knew the answer._

"_Yes."_

"_The six lords. They passed through here?"_

"_Indeed," Coriakin affirmed._

"Caspian?" came a familiar voice accompanied by a light rap on the door.

"Come on in Ed," Caspian shook his head and dragged a hand through his sopping wet hair.

Ever since leaving Coriakin's Island fourteen days earlier, the Dawn Treader had been lost in a storm that had them all quite unsure of what was north, south, east, west, up, down, or sideways. Almost all their time was spent on deck being assaulted by wave after wave of icy sea water and stinging sheets of rain. In the little amount time in which he had to think, Caspian had played and replayed in his head every detail of what the magician had told them.

"_You must follow the Blue Star to Ramandu's Island… you are all about to be tested… until you lay down the seventh sword, Evil has the upper hand… to defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself…"_

_How in Aslan's name are we supposed to defeat anything in the midst of one continuous sheet of water? At this rate we could be sailing in circles forever and never know it!  
><em>

"You too, eh?" Edmund pulled off his cloak and shook his dark hair, spraying droplets of water all over, which hardly mattered as everything was already damp at best. He squelched across the cabin to sit next to Caspian.

"Ed…" Caspian started, and then hesitated before continuing. He hated showing weakness to anyone but if he couldn't confide in Edmund, he couldn't confide in anyone. It would not do to let the crew see any doubt from their leader. "I'm worried. This storm isn't letting up. We're not going to see any stars in this weather, blue or otherwise. How much longer can we continue doing this?"

Edmund regarded him for a long moment until Caspian could not bear it any longer and looked down at his hands in his lap. He was starting to regret having said anything when, to his astonishment, a pale hand came into his field of vision and landed gently on top of his own.

"Caspian," the younger king said softly, "However hard it may be to go on, it would be infinitely more difficult to go back. Could you really go back now that you know what lies out there, now that you know what has happened to all those people: to those prisoners and sailors… to Gael's mum? Could you really abandon this mission? I know you Caspian – I know that you couldn't. You must have faith: faith in Aslan, faith that we will get through this storm… faith in yourself."

Caspian raised his gaze upwards once more to meet Edmund's. The tingling feeling that one gets after swallowing a shot of a particularly strong alcohol spread over him and he exhaled a deep breath that had caught in his chest.

"You're right," he whispered, "Of course you're right. You must think me such a coward, Ed." He turned towards the faces of the Seven Lords. "Of course we will keep going. We have to… thank you Ed."

Edmund's hand had remained on Caspian's. The boat rocked violently and the two men sat swaying in the flickering lantern light for what seemed like an eternity. Caspian did not want that hand to ever leave his; it was the one spark of light and warmth in the middle of the dark, stormy sea.

"Your Majesties!" Drinian pounded on the door.

Edmund pulled his hand away slowly and stood. Caspian continued to hold his gaze as he called Drinian in, tearing his eyes away only when the captain had sloshed into the cabin and removed his hood. The captain of the Dawn Treader was speaking, they could tell, not just for himself but for his crew as well. They were of the same mind that Caspian himself had been before Edmund had joined him.

"This is your last chance to turn back, Your Majesties!" Drinian warned.

Caspian's eyes flickered to meet Edmund's and the look he received gave him strength and courage.

Drinian did not let up. "Needle in the haystack trying to find this Ramandu place – we could sail right past it and off the edge of the world!"

"Or get eaten by a sea serpent," Edmund interjected, breaking the captain's flow.

Caspian looked up at his friend and felt the corner's of his mouth twitch ever so slightly. Drinian did not appear to find Edmund's contribution the least bit humorous or helpful, though Caspian found it to be a little of both. The surly captain continued addressing Caspian.

"I'm just sayin', the men are gettin' nervous. These are strange seas we're sailing… the likes of which I've never seen before."

Caspian decided it was time to end the conversation. There was no argument that could change his mind now. Edmund had been quite right – Caspian would never be able to live with himself if he turned his back on his duty to his father's friends and to his people. The Dawn Treader had to continue.

"Then perhaps, Captain," he said, rising to his feet and speaking in a voice that was much stronger than he felt, "You would like to be the one to explain to Mr. Rhince that we're abandoning the search for his family."

Drinian's mouth snapped shut like a clam. The captain knew that he would, of course, never be able to do anything of the sort. He looked at the two Kings who stared back at him with jaws set and conviction in their eyes.

"I'll get back to it," the captain announced, already pulling his cloak back over his head.

As the door shut, the two kings dragged their own drenched cloaks onto their shoulders and braced themselves to once more face the hell that awaited them outside. As Edmund placed his hand on the door to pull it open, Caspian caught his arm.

"Ed…"

This time it was Caspian who found himself at a loss for words, and it was Edmund's turn to convey to his friend that there was no need to speak.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: These puppets are not mine, I've only set them up for a little game of pretend. All Narnian characters, ships, etc. belong to C.S. Lewis, Warner Brothers, etc. **

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><p><strong>~Chapter 6~<strong>

_**Edmund**_

After hours of battling the relentless tempest, the crew finally got a chance to rest. The rain had lightened to a downpour and the wind no longer threatened to completely upend the Dawn Treader. Exhausted and wearing the driest clothing that could be found, the two kings and most of the crew slumped down into their hammocks. The ship creaked and moaned from the onslaught of the elements but it was sturdy and had held fast.

Edmund ached to the bone and felt as though he could sleep for weeks. He had no idea if it was day or night, nor was he the slightest bit curious. All around him was clear evidence that the rest of the men felt the same way. Reepicheep, who had perched in the forecastle right inside dragon's mouth as a lookout, had collapsed into his tiny hammock and immediately began emitting high, whistling snores. Rhince had gone with Edmund to look in on the girls before stumbling into his own swinging bed and was half under his blanket with a worried frown creasing his forehead.

Lucy and Gael had labored non-stop to mend a consistent stream of various broken and torn pieces of the Dawn Treader. They were frequently seen dashing out onto the deck to deliver a newly repaired object, only to receive something else that was in need of their attentions. Initially, Lucy (and therefore Gael too) had wanted to be on deck, but in the end they had been shouted down by Edmund and Rhince. They had proved, though, to be just as useful off deck as any of the men had been on it.

In fact, the only person who had _not_ done anything of consequence was Eustace. At that point no one on board really knew or cared what the boy was doing so long as he stayed out of the way. Edmund recalled his earlier conversation with Lucy and thought, rather dryly, that if Eustace had been brought to Narnia to do any sort of growing up then they were likely to be there for a good while yet.

This line of thought brought back all the worries that had been forgotten while they struggled to keep the Dawn Treader safe. Despite the trials and tribulations they were now facing, Edmund dreaded more and more the time when he would be pulled back to his own world.

The night before landing on Coriakin's Island, the two Kings had been on the verge of… something. Edmund touched his cheek, remembering the feeling of drowning in the depths of Caspian's coffee colored eyes and how the warm, calloused hand had felt against his skin. All worlds had fallen away from him in that blissful moment. If they had not been interrupted… Edmund deliberated in his mind. Did he, as Lucy had hinted at, want to do the same as Susan – would he have kissed Caspian? In England, or even before in Narnia, he would never in his wildest dreams imagined such an intimacy with another man, yet he felt inexplicably drawn to Caspian.

He tilted his head slightly and was fairly unsurprised to see Caspian's gaze was already upon him, as if the King had read his mind. There was so much he wanted to say to Caspian, but here, surrounded by others, he could not. To his relief, the Telmarine jerked his head in the direction of Reepicheep and Eustace, whose combined snores had reached a level of volume to contend with that of the storm, and quirked an eyebrow at his friend. Edmund grinned and chuckled softly.

"D' you reckon the worst of it is over?" he asked quietly.

"Of the snoring?" Caspian teased, before his face settled into a more somber expression. "I don't know. I'd like to think so, but it's like Drinian said – these are strange seas. Who knows how long this will last."

"It's almost unnatural," Edmund ventured, "As if there's something trying to stop us from going on."

"If there is, it nearly succeeded. Yet on we go," Caspian whispered, "Thanks to you Ed."

Being too tired to continue, and for fear of waking the others, they lay silently, once more looking at one another in the flickering lantern light. Presently they succumbed to the weariness that enveloped them and fell into troubled sleep. Edmund tossed in his blankets as half-formed figures crept into his dreams, whispering and calling to him.

_Peter stood before him, tall and noble, looking down at him regally. The Magnificent Kings seemed to grow larger until he towered over Edmund. His shining sword shone so bright that Edmund was forced to shield his eyes from the light. When he uncovered his eyes he saw Caspian standing before him. The shining mane of silky hair framed his handsome face, but it was somehow different from the familiar face that Edmund had grown to know so well. It was darker, more defined, and the eyes were cold and hard. They held no trace of the sparkling warmth that was normally there. This terrible Caspian raised his finger and pointed down at Edmund, a commanding gesture. _

"_Edmund_…"

The boy's eyes flew open and he stifled a shout. He knew that voice, that horrible, evil voice. It had seemed so real, so close – as if she were kneeling beside him and whispering in his ear. He glanced over at Caspian, who was muttering in his sleep and tossing his head in agitation. Edmund peered nervously around in the darkness as he tried to shake off the dream.

"_Edmund…_" the voice came again, and to his horror he saw a figure forming in the air above Caspian's sleeping form. "_Edmund…" _the White Witch called to him, "_Come with me… join me."_

In a flash of lightning Edmund saw her terrifying, beautiful face illuminated and his hand automatically reached for his sword and he wrenched himself upright, unsheathing the blade before he could even begin to form a conscious thought.

"Edmund!" Lucy whispered urgently.

He jolted around to see his sister's pale, frightened face peering anxiously at him. Edmund whipped back the other direction, his eyes searching wildly in the empty space above Caspian.

"Oh, Lucy…" he breathed and let his sword drop to his lap.

Behind him, Caspian sat bolt upright with a noise of fright.

"I can't sleep," Lucy told her brother, reminding him vividly of the little girl who had come running into his and Peter's room when they were younger.

"Let me guess," Edmund looked at Caspian as the older boy collapsed back onto his pillow breathing heavily, "Bad dreams."

There was no reply from either Lucy or Caspian, but he took their silence as an affirmation. Evidently, his sleep was not the only one that had been infiltrated.

"So either we're all going mad," he lay back and swallowed hard, "Or something's playing with our minds."

"This is what Drinian meant," Caspian spoke up, "About the sea playing tricks on the mind."

"Somehow, I don't think it's the sea." Lucy looked between the two of them. "Something else is at work here – something evil. It's the spell. It's trying to stop us."

Edmund wondered vaguely what evil, horrible dreams could cause his valiant sister to come so undone; she seemed almost ashamed of herself.

"It won't. It can't," Caspian told her firmly. "We will get through this, Lucy. We must have faith."

Lucy gave him a small smile and squeezed her brother's arm before turning to go.

Edmund shifted his eyes to Caspian, who nodded at him. He must have had lingering traces of the dream on his face, for Caspian looked searchingly at him. His stomach gave a guilty lurch at the memory of his dream. Caspian's eyes, which in the dream had been so dark and terrible, were their usual, warm brown and Edmund found himself reassured as they moved over his face. He lifted the corner of his mouth at the older boy and nodded back.

Edmund fell back to sleep slowly. No dreams fully formed, but ghostly images hovered on the edge of his consciousness and taunted him. Halfway through the night, Edmund awoke for a barely a few seconds and found his hand stretched out toward Caspian. Caspian's eyes opened for a heartbeat and locked with Edmund's, and then both fell at once into an undisturbed slumber until they were awakened several hours later by the captain.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Brace yourselves, part of this chapter is another scene out of the movie (with embellishments). Once again - Narnia does not it any way, shape, or form belong to me. **

**Also, for those of you wonderful folks who have been following this story, I've added a bit to the middle of Chapter 6. Special thanks to crying-tear, who is my first-ever reviewer =)  
><strong>

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><p><strong>~Chapter 7~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

"Everyone up!" Drinian's voice came down through the hatch, "Get up here!"

Reepicheep was first up, springing gracefully to the floor and scampering up to the deck. The rest of the crew arose more slowly. Caspian glanced around and saw that the bedraggled group still looked weary, though whether from nightmares and restless sleep or merely from two weeks of hard labor he could not say. Eustace continued to snore and no one bothered to wake him; sleeping was how they preferred him.

Caspian looked sideways at Edmund as he pulled on his sea boots. Edmund appeared slightly more refreshed than most of the others. Caspian wondered if Edmund had continued to be plagued by nightmares after Lucy had returned to her cabin. His own dreams had, at first, continued to torment him. An endless line of malevolent ghostly figures, his father and Edmund included, taunted and berated him for his cowardice and poor leadership. Then Edmund had appeared before him, a more solid Edmund with a comforting gaze, extending a hand towards him. Caspian was not entirely certain if he had been dreaming or not, but after that the dreams had ceased.

The rest of the crew had scrambled up through the hatch and light filtered down from above. Caspian noticed that the violent movements had stopped and the ship was rocking gently. He followed Edmund up the ladder and was met by the welcoming warmth of the sun. The sky had cleared and the water was calm again. Overhead, the Dawn Treader's purple sail ruffled in a gentle breeze. Everyone was looking very relieved indeed. A few cheers broke out among the men and Edmund, who was hugging his sister, smiled widely at Caspian over Lucy's shoulder.

"Well, it is good to see sunlight again," Drinian said, striding up beside Caspian, "But we're still low on food and water, Your Majesty. This is uncharted sea – we have no idea if there's land anywhere near here."

"Have faith, good Captain," Lucy joined them, followed by Edmund, and she seemed to have a new light in her eyes.

"With the greatest respect, My Queen, we cannot survive on faith alone. We need provisions."

"Well there wouldn't be much use in turning back now," Edmund said firmly. "We haven't enough provisions to make it back; I imagine the best we can do is to keep going in hope of finding land. Caspian?"

Caspian considered their options. He no longer had any intentions of going back until he had finished what he had set out to do, but there was no denying that Dawn Treader was in a sticky situation.

"We go on," he declared, half-glancing at Edmund before looking back at Drinian. "We'll continue East. King Edmund is right; there's no way we'd make it back at this point."

There was nothing else that they could do. He knew the Valiant Queen well enough and he felt that even if his own faith was not quite strong enough to keep them going, Lucy's (as well as Edmund's) would be. Drinian looked as if he wanted to protest, but he inclined his head respectfully to his Kings and Queen and went to his crew.

The rest of the morning was spent assessing damages and repairing as much as could be. Lucy and Gael were once again running about and seemed to be everywhere. Reepicheep was once more at his lookout post, scanning the horizon for a glimpse of land. Eustace appeared around midday and made no effort to aid the crew, though he had a good deal of opinions that he felt needed to be expressed to his cousins and Caspian.

"Well, I must say, I rather thought we'd all be lying at the bottom of the ocean by now. Astounding, really, that this tub managed to stay afloat through all that mess. I do hope that you've all come around now and that we will be returning to civilization. You really ought to…"

A crew member walked by with a beam and accidentally (or perhaps not) bumped into Eustace's head, so the two Kings never found out exactly what it was that they ought to do. After that, Eustace retreated to a corner of the deck where he was out of the way of passing beams and occupied himself with sulking.

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><p>"Land ho!" Reepicheep cried out.<p>

Heads sprang up and Caspian heard sighs of relief from all around. There had been more than a few discontented grumblings from the crew, but they had kept their grousing to a minimum and trusted their King.

The island looked dry, rocky, and barren, but it was their best bet. A group was assembled to go ashore to seek out food and water. Caspian thought, and Edmund agreed with him, that any of the Lords that had made it this far would have stopped at the island for the same reasons.

As they rowed in, Caspian felt a flickering of anxiety. What if they never found the Lords at all? What if he led the Dawn Treader on a fool's errand that would end either in them falling prey to the Evil or just sailing right off the end of the world? As if he sensed his friend's trepidation, Edmund discreetly touched Caspian's arm and the fears abated slightly.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

Edmund, having just descended a rope into a crevice in the island's rocky surface, peered upwards. As he looked up at Caspian silhouetted against the sun, he was reminded horribly of the Caspian from his nightmares the night before. Out of nowhere, bitterness rose inside him like a sickness and he had to physically shake himself to subdue the unwanted feelings. He started to explore the cavern as Lucy and Caspian came down the rope in turn. The assault of emotion left him even more uneasy than he had before and he very much wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible.

A flash of light caught Edmund's eye and he found himself standing beside a pool of water that was just below a crack where the sunlight came down. It was a golden object lying at the bottom of the pool that had reflected the sun into his eyes. The boy shifted his feet into a more stable position and leaned forward to get a better look at the figure. Caspian and Lucy now approached the pool to see what Edmund was looking at.

"What's that?" Caspian asked with and edge in his voice.

Edmund could tell the older King was feeling nervous as well, and for some reason it annoyed him. He swallowed the annoyance and chalked it up to his own edginess.

"I dunno," he replied, still craning his neck to try and see the shining mass from a better angle. It looked to be in the shape of a human down on one knee. "Looks like some sort of gold statue."

Grabbing a root from the cavern wall, he cautiously kneeled at the edge of the pool and prodded the statue. The stick grew heavy in his hand and as he pulled it out he saw, to his astonishment, that the root was turning to gold right before his very eyes. With an exclamation he threw the now golden stick away from him and it landed in the pool with a splash and sunk straight to the bottom. With dawning understanding on their faces, the three Royals looked at each other.

"Poor man!" Lucy exclaimed.

"You mean poor Lord," Edmund corrected her, catching sight of two more objects lying beside the unfortunate man.

"The crest of Lord Restimar," Caspian said gravely and hung his head. "We'll need his sword."

Caspian took Edmund's hand to anchor the younger boy as he leaned forward with his own sword and carefully retrieved the sword of Lord Restimar. Even though he had been fairly sure that the pool would not affect his sword, seeing as how Restimar's had not been changed to gold, he was relieved to see that it had remained steel. And now, an idea had begun to form, a brilliant idea.

Edmund seized a shell and dipped it into the pool, careful not to let his skin come into contact with the water, and dropped it quickly onto the ground where it sparkled and twinkled in the light. He stared at it, entranced. Gold. Gold was power – power to rule, if you had enough of it, power to tell other people what to do. He looked at Lucy. This was the answer to their problems; they would not ever be treated like silly children again. He told her as much, but was only half paying attention to the words he spoke.

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund," Caspian told him with a bite in his voice.

"Says who," Edmund retorted in a low voice. The resentment and bitterness came bubbling dangerously to the surface.

"I do."

"I'm not your subject." This time Edmund did not fight back the storm, but let his anger surge up and boil over. He picked up his sword and advanced on Caspian.

"You've been waiting for this, haven't you?" Caspian accused him. "To challenge me. You doubt my leadership!"

"You doubt yourself!" Edmund shot at him.

The two were head to head now, shouting horrible things at one another.

"Edmund!" Lucy exclaimed, but he flung her arm off.

All of the angry, resentful feelings that Edmund had shoved aside before came flooding out of his mouth. Before he knew what was happening, Caspian had drawn Rhindon and the two crossed blades with a clash that echoed through the cavern. They fought in earnest; several blows that went awry would have, if the ground had not been so uneven, hit their mark and drawn blood.

"NO!" Lucy screamed, darting forward and standing between the two Kings. "STOP IT!" the Valiant Queen shouted at her brother and then whipping her head towards Caspian, "Both of you! Can't you see what's happening? This place has tempted you – it's bewitching you."

The sight of his sister almost in tears brought Edmund around more than her yelling. He glanced at Caspian, who had the same look of one just waking up. Lucy turned on heel and stalked back towards the rope without waiting for the boys.

Edmund felt a wave of remorse crashing around him so violently that he thought he might be sick. Horrified, he slowly raised his eyes to Caspian's face, wishing with every fiber of his being that he could turn back time and take back every terrible second since they'd arrived on the island. The shocked, hurt look that clouded the older boy's features was like a thousand knives being driven into Edmund. Caspian turned without a word to follow Lucy.

_This is why I'm not meant to rule, _Edmund realized. _This is why there must always be someone who has the power to keep the darkest parts of me in check. I can't be trusted. Aslan knows that, that's why Peter was High King. And now Caspian knows it too._

Edmund felt shame and anguish enveloping him. How could he have let himself fall to temptation? Would Caspian ever trust him again? He would lose Caspian before he was even returned to England; he would never discover what it was that had come to be between him and the older King.

_Take me back now, Aslan, _he pleaded silently. _Don't let me corrupt this mission any more. Don't let me hurt Caspian again._

But nothing happened, and Edmund hung his head in defeat. He returned to the rope and followed Lucy and Caspian back to the shore. With every step, his heart felt heavier and heavier.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Not yours, not mine, all credit to respective owners... But here you go! Piping hot out the think tank and steaming with the smell of... angst. They haven't quite made it to the smooching thing yet, but they're coming along. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 8~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

A jet of steam shot up from the stony surface and Caspian sidestepped it at the last second, barely avoiding the scorching upsurge. Without giving this encounter a second thought, Caspian numbly continued to stumble after Lucy. Part of his mind hinted that he should compose himself before they reached the men and he half-heartedly obeyed, pulling his shoulders out of their defeated slouch and lifting his head slightly. The rest of his brain screamed in despair.

_What's the use? I'm not a King, I haven't got what it takes. I'm a coward; a child. _Caspian's knees threatened to buckle under him. _I've been deluding myself. Edmund! The truth at last – he's only been humoring me. He doesn't respect me... doesn't care about me. _

That last thought caused his chest to constrict horribly and he paused for a moment to close his eyes and force his lungs to take in a breath of the dry air. His fears had been confirmed and he had responded in the worst way possible. In vain, he struggled to quash the echoes of every horrible word that he'd screamed at Edmund.

"_You're a child! There's a reason you were never the High King! You don't belong in Narnia! You're not needed here!"_

Caspian screwed his eyes tight and clutched his head, as if to tear the memories from his brain. Bewitched by Evil or not, how could he ever have allowed such a flaying torrent of utterances be let loose upon the one person who had been his greatest comfort? No matter how Edmund felt about him, Caspian knew that he would not have made it to this point without the support of the younger boy. In fact, if it were not for Edmund, Caspian would have succumbed to the Evil of the White Witch before even becoming the King.

_None of it was true, Ed! None of it! You were and are the greatest of Kings – Peter and I would have handed Narnia back to the White Witch. Narnia needs you… I need you!_

Lucy had stopped and turned to see what was taking the boys so long. She opened her mouth, but upon seeing Caspian in such a state of distress she closed it without saying anything. The girl backtracked a few steps and gently took Caspian's wrist.

"He didn't mean it Caspian – not really. You both said things that weren't genuine. It's the enchantment. Remember what Coriakin told us? 'It seeks to corrupt all goodness'. We've got to be strong, Caspian, we can't let it win."

Caspian looked despairingly down at the young Queen. "How have you managed, Lucy? Are Edmund and I really so weak that we cannot resist this temptation?"

"You're not weak at all," she smiled sadly at him, "I was having nightmares too, remember? But we can't let temptation overcome us, we must fight it. We must have faith, Caspian." Lucy squeezed his hand gently and resumed the trek down to the boats.

Taking strength from the Queen's reassurances, Caspian once more squared his shoulders and commanded his expression into what he hoped was a normal one. Now was not the time to deal with his own personal angst; he would have to sort that out later. His duty was to his men and his mission.

* * *

><p>"Eustace!" Edmund climbed several paces ahead of Caspian.<p>

The little amount of edible matter that Reepicheep and his men had found had been loaded into the longboats and water had been replenished. Just as they were preparing to return to the Dawn Treader, Lucy had noticed that the Pevensies' disagreeable cousin had vanished. After several minutes of confusion and exasperation, Edmund had volunteered to go search for his wayward relative while the scanty provisions were taken aboard. After a split seconds deliberation, Caspian had offered to join him. Lucy's words had planted a tiny seed of hope in his heart and he wanted very badly to believe that Edmund's hateful words had only been a manifestation of the Evil.

"Eustace!" Edmund hollered again. "Damn it all!" he kicked a rock in frustration and halted.

Caspian caught up to him and they stood in a tense silence. Edmund remained with his back to Caspian, squinting around in the glaring light. The landscape offered little variety to the observer, with nothing but dull, dry slopes and sporadic steamy outbursts in all directions. The sun continued to beat down on the pair with not even the hint of a cloud to offer hope of relief. Caspian longed for the times when conversation flowed easily and ached to close the distance between them. He lifted his hand to reach for Edmund's shoulder, but just as he did, Edmund started forward again and Caspian's hand fell back to his side.

"Edmund!" Caspian burst out.

Edmund stopped without turning and looked at the ground. "I – I'm sorry Caspian. All those things I said back there… I said them out of spite, none of it's true." He hesitated before going on, "You were right... there's a reason Peter was High King; I'm not fit to rule. I'm not pure like Lucy, or noble like Peter… like you." His voice was flat and full of self-loathing; it tore at Caspian like a lion's claws, yet at the same time his heart soared upon learning that Edmund did not, in fact, despise him.

Caspian caught hold of Edmund's arm and pulled him around, "No, Edmund!"

The younger man was still refusing to look Caspian in the eye, "You're amazing… all that you've done, all that you are doing… you're kind and noble and extraordinarily brave…" Edmund's voice caught and dropped to a whisper, "Narnia could not have hoped for a better King."

"Look at me, Edmund! Ed, please!" Caspian cupped the boy's chin and gently forced the pale face up towards his own, "You are Edmund the Just, one of the great Kings of old, inducted by Aslan himself. No one is more deserving of the title; you have proven yourself time and time again. I do not hold anything that happened back in that dreadful place against you and I never could. There is Evil at work, Ed, and we have all let it contaminate our thoughts. Ed, please look at me!"

At last, Edmund slowly brought his eyes to meet Caspian's. Caspian placed one hand on either side of Edmund's face, silently pleading the King before him not to look away. The chocolate colored eyes explored Caspian's face, a hope that reflected Caspian's own igniting in their depths.

"I'm so sorry, Caspian," Edmund repeated, "I didn't mean to hurt you, I'd never want to…"

"I know, Ed, I know," Caspian pulled the smaller body into an embrace and Edmund's strong arms wrapped around his waist. He stroked the unruly black hair tenderly. "I didn't mean any of the atrocious things that I said either. It's over now; let's put it behind us."

Just then, a horrendous noise reverberated through the rock around them, causing pebbles to tremble and cascade down the steep slope to the right. The two young men pulled slowly apart and looked nervously at one another. They went forward cautiously, hands at the hilts of their swords, calling once more for Eustace.

Quite suddenly, they came upon an opening in the wall to their right and they blinked, momentarily blinded by a brilliance that seemed to come from the rock itself. Once their eyes had adjusted, they saw a blanket of gold spread out like a river down the narrow canyon that twisted out of sight in the distance.

"Treasure," Edmund said darkly.

"Trouble" Caspian hesitated, but Edmund, who appeared to have caught sight of something, proceeded carefully down the slope.

"Eustace!" Edmund gasped, stooping to retrieve a very un-Narnian shoe that was charred around the edges.

There was a pile of smoking rags deposited on the ground. Caspian knelt beside Edmund as the younger King dug through the heap and found a burnt notebook among the singed clothing.

"He was just a boy – I never should have left him!" Edmund looked around for a sign of his cousin, guilt and self-recrimination evident in his pale features. "What could've happened to him?"

"In this place?" Caspian scanned the valley, more wary than ever, searching for anything that could give them a hint as to what had become of Eustace. "Anything."

As much as the scowling, freckled boy irritated Caspian, he did not relish the idea of the child coming to any serious harm. The treasure twinkled ominously in the harsh sunlight and steam issued from cracks along the stony corridor. Something brown stood out among the sea of gold and Caspian stood to investigate.

"It's Lord Octesian," he reeled back from the sight. The former Lord had been reduced to a mere skeleton, all flesh long rotted away. "We should look for his…"

But Edmund had already found the sword. As they stood there, gazing bleakly around the final resting place of the Lord Octesian, there once more came the awful, earth-shaking sound that they had heard before.

"Let's get back," Caspian suggested, and Edmund nodded grimly. Whatever fate had befallen Eustace, they were not going to find him there.

As they approached the boats, the same alarming noise rang out and Edmund broke into a run. Caspian looked around for the source of the noise; it sounded almost like the roar of a great lion, but far more coarse and terrible. The cry seemed to come from overhead. A tremendous flapping sound, like an enormous bat, came whooshing behind Caspian and he whirled around. He ducked instinctively as a mass of golden scales swept inches above him and extended a pair of massive claws towards Edmund.

"Edmund!" Caspian screamed frantically, his heart in his throat, "Ed!"

The dragon seized Edmund and hauled him off over the water towards the Dawn Treader. An overwhelming urge to panic overtook Caspian.

_No! Not Edmund! _

He leapt into the nearest longboat and, without an inkling of what good he could do against a dragon, rowed with all his might. Why was the cursed beast aiming for the Dawn Treader? But even as he watched, the creature made one pass over the ship before wheeling around and bearing Edmund high over the hills and into the heart of the island.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Here it is... (drumroll) the kiss! Oh, and a bit more story too. =) I hadn't planned on this being so involved, but there you are. Please review!  
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**Narnia and the characters (etc.) are still not mine (nor will they ever be, sigh), but I've kept them busy all the same.**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 9~<strong>

**_Edmund_  
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I AM EUSTACE

Edmund, who had until that instant thought (mistakenly) that he could not be in a greater state of shock than he already was, gaped in horror at the fiery words burning in the volcanic landscape below him.

"You have _got_ to be joking!" he twisted around in the dragon's clutch to look at the scaly head above him. "_Eustace!_"

His cousin (as it was) made a sort of nodding motion with his great, horrible head and somehow managed to look apologetic.

"Well that's just ace," Edmund grumbled, but decided that, considering how his morning had gone, it wouldn't be fair to keep going on about it.

Eustace the dragon glided back down to the shore where Caspian, Lucy, and all the men that could fit into the two boats were frantically scanning the skies. Lucy had an arrow nocked in Susan's bow and most of the others were armed with crossbows or swords. Rhince and two other men had cleverly rigged a sort of catapult device and loaded it with a large boulder. Drinian was first to spot Eustace swooping towards them and raised the alarm. Edmund's mind, which was still wrapping itself around the fact that his cousin was a dragon, just barely registered the fact that there was a good deal of weaponry aimed at them.

"Stop!" he waved his arms like a drowning man, "STOP! Caspian! Lucy! It's okay! It's Eustace! IT'S EUSTACE!"

Initially, there was some puzzlement on the ground. Several of the men, Caspian included, thought that Edmund was screaming 'It's useless!' Apart from this statement being a very un-Edmundish thing to say, it did not quite seem to fit. It was Reepicheep with his keen ears that first realized what Edmund was shouting and tugged on Caspian's sleeve, echoing Edmund's cry. Every single pair of eyes lifted upwards in astonishment and more than a few jaws dropped. Eustace landed rather bumpily on the ground and Edmund was deposited arse-over-elbow onto the sand where he sprang to his feet and rounded on the dragon.

"Never. Do. That. Again."

Eustace bobbed his head in assent and there was a full minute and a half of dead silence before several things happened all at once. Lucy rushed forward to lay her hand on her cousin's scaly, shimmering arm and Reepicheep hopped forward with her.

"What in tarnation…" Drinian growled, and there was an accompanying chorus of "By the Lion!"s and "Sweet Lady of the Sea!"s and even one or two "Blimey!"s (which the men had picked up from Edmund) from the crew.

"Oh, Eustace!" Lucy sighed in a tone that reminded Edmund very strongly of Susan.

Under cover of all this commotion, Caspian grasped Edmund's arm in a relieved fashion and his eyes twinkled warmly at his friend. Edmund desired nothing more than to be in Caspian's arms again, but the situation at hand demanded attention and there was no opportunity for any private moments. The best he could do was return the gaze and subtly brush his hand over the Telmarine's back as he moved to join his sister and cousin.

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><p>"I've never seen these constellations before," Edmund observed, surveying the unfamiliar night sky. He had searched for formations that he remembered from old Narnia, during the Golden Age: the Hammer or the Leopard, but none of the stars above him drew any recognition.<p>

Despite everything that had transpired, he felt a great sense of contentment as he lay on his back at Caspian's side. A steadily burning fire, courtesy of one Eustace Scrubbs, crackled comfortingly at his feet. Rhince dozed a few yards to their right and Lucy lay on a blanket on the other side of the fire, talking quietly with Gael (who had threatened to swim ashore if they would not permit her on the boats) Reepicheep was curled into a ball close in to the blaze and further back from him Eustace had sprawled his immense form along the sand.

"Me neither. We're a long way from home," Caspian replied softly from his perch beside Edmund, "When I was a boy I used to imagine sailing to the End of the World… finding my father there."

Edmund tilted his head to view Caspian, half his face bathed in silvery moonlight and the other half glowing in the light of the fire. "Maybe you will."

Caspian lowered his gaze from the heavens to meet Edmund's. As if by predetermined action, Edmund raised his hand at the same time that Caspian lowered his own to meet it. Hand in hand, they returned to contemplating the stars in quiet bliss, listening as the conversations of their companions came and went. Reepicheep, having finished telling a fantastic tale of dragons to a gloomy Eustace, curled once more into a furry knot and his whistling snores soon joined the lower, softer sounds of slumber that issued from Rhince and the girls. Not long after, Eustace's grunting snores (not unlike, Edmund thought, the sounds that he made while sleeping in human form) echoed out over the makeshift camp and onto the water.

Edmund attempted to hold onto his contented, peaceful state of mind, but a niggling thought in the back of his mind began to creep into his consciousness. Despite their earlier reconciliation, Edmund could not entirely forget the hurt look on Caspian's face from that morning. The image hovered in front of him and stained the inside of his eyelids. Almost as though he sensed that he was being thought of, the older boy glanced down at Edmund.

"Are you sleeping?" Caspian murmured, his larger hand squeezing Edmund's gently.

"No," Edmund whispered, "I don't feel as if I can just yet."

"Let's walk," Caspian rose and pulled Edmund lightly to his feet. "The moon is bright enough that we can wander for a little."

For the first hundred yards or so, they walked in silence, still joined at the hand and shoulders ghosting against each other. The volcanic island stayed warm even in the late hours and the salty breeze from the sea felt cool and refreshing. The boys' boots crunched along at a relaxed, unhurried pace and presently they stopped to look out at the moon hanging brilliantly above the shadow of the Dawn Treader.

"Caspian," Edmund began, still half-whispering even though they were well away from the others, "I feel like I should explain myself. What I said down there… you know I didn't mean any of it. Not truly, but…" He hesitated, but now that he'd started, Edmund felt a pressing need to keep going – to make Caspian understand. He proceeded haltingly. "I have felt, I dunno… a bitterness towards you. Before, you know. I can't help it – I don't mean to. It's not just the enchantment - there's a part of me that's… worse. Darker. Ever since the first time I came to Narnia, I've realized it. I'm not a good person, Caspian."

He chanced a look up at Caspian, who had listened to all of this in silence. The taller boy stood with his back to the moon so that his face was in shadow and Edmund could not read the expression on his face, but he imagined it was disgusted, or even worse, hurt. Edmund hung his head in shame and made to turn back towards the camp. But then, miraculously, the warm hand that had held his came to the side of his face and Caspian's broad thumb swept over his cheek.

"Did I not say that we should forget about that?" he asked sadly, continuing to stroke the younger man's milky skin. "There are dark pieces in everyone, Ed; the soul is not a thing of black and white. Good men strive to not let the darker parts overcome the lighter ones, and you, King Edmund… you are a lighter shade of grey than the majority. I could not care for you as I do if you were an evil man."

Edmund clung to Caspian's words, yearning to believe them, but not quite able to. "If you care for me, Caspian, then you do so wrongly." He wrenched himself away from the older boy and tried once more to walk away, but Caspian caught him by both shoulders and held him there.

"No, Edmund. I'm not wrong; you are not a bad person, not by far. And I do care for you, more than I should, perhaps." Caspian's eyes pierced Edmund to the core and he could not have looked away now even if he had wanted to. "It's… different, Ed. I don't quite know what it is that I feel for you, but I know that it's real and it's powerful. I would be a lesser man, a lesser King, if I'd never met you. By Aslan, I wouldn't be King at all. Edmund, the reason I think you were not High King is that the high rulers need someone to support them – someone to steer them right when they go astray, someone to be their strength when they are weak and their eyes when they are blind. That's what you are to me. I need you, Ed."

Before Edmund could reply, Caspian pulled him in and their lips met in a powerful yet heartbreakingly sweet kiss. Edmund took one arm around Caspian's muscular back and his free hand landed gently at the nape of the older King's neck. Caspian's strong hands sent electric chills running down every nerve pathway in his body as they caressed his face. Edmund breathed in and drowned in the smell of Caspian. For the rest of his life, Edmund would remember that scent and it would always remind him of Caspian and happiness and everything that he loved about Narnia.

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><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

He had not intended to do it, but as he brought his mouth down to Edmund's, Caspian could not imagine anything ever feeling more _right_. The tingling sensation that spread from his lips to the rest of his body was more powerful than any surge of adrenaline that he had ever experienced, the taste of Edmund was sweeter than the juice of any fruit he had ever eaten, and the heady rush that overcame him was more potent than the effect of any wine he had ever drunk.

Caspian felt as if his heart would burst from his chest as Edmund's arms wrapped around him and he could think of nothing but that warm presence entwined with his. Presently, he leaned back gently and looked down at Edmund, still cradling the younger man's face in his hands.

"Do you believe me now?" he searched the face that had been twisted in torment moments earlier. Edmund's eyes reflected the moonlight and he now wore an expression of wonderment.

"Caspian…" he did not answer, but Caspian did not need him to.

Their lips met once more and lingered softly. Caspian rested his forehead against Edmund's and they stood like that, with breaths mingling, for an indeterminable amount of time. The waves lapped gently at the rocky shore and the pair felt almost as if they were suspended in a dream. The moon sank low over the sea and the sky began to lighten to a softer grey. With a great amount of effort, the two peeled apart and slowly walked back towards the camp with their arms encircling one another.

Edmund lay with his back nestled into Caspian, and the older boy settled his chin on the shoulder in front of him. Eventually, the other inhabitants of the camp began to rustle with pre-waking noises and the couple shared a tender kiss before relocating to separate spots. Caspian immediately missed the warmth of the smaller body snuggled against his, but he closed his eyes and lay back on his hands with a peaceful sigh.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: First and foremost, heaps of thanks to all of you who are following this story, and an additional heap to those of you that have reviewed. **

**Up to this point I've stuck with the movie version of events, but we're going to take a slight detour through the realms of the books and my own imagination. This is all in the interest of giving our beloved Kings some more time together.**

**I still don't own Narnia or any of its inhabitants, etc. - happy reading!**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 10~<strong>

_**Edmund**_

After reluctantly leaving the warmth of Caspian's arms, Edmund had barely snuck in a few minutes of sleep before being jolted back to consciousness by Lucy and Gael's excited cries. The elusive Blue Star had at last revealed itself to them. There had been a hurry to depart Dragon Island, as it had come to be called, and not a single man, woman, or creature was sorry to leave the unfriendly land behind them.

_The Blue Star…_ Edmund leaned over the port side of the Dawn Treader and stared pensively at the glowing aquamarine orb floating over the watery horizon, _a light leading us into the dark._

Caspian approached and touched Edmund's arm lightly in greeting before resting against the bulwark. The two Kings shared a rare quiet moment. Since leaving Dragon Island the day before, they had not been presented with any opportunities to discuss what occurred between them, yet Edmund wasn't sure if there was any need to. Caspian's deep brown eyes seemed to express every unspoken sentiment that Edmund felt he would never be able to put to words. A longing to once more be in one another's arms simmered softly between them, but went largely unsatisfied due to the absence of privacy on the small ship and they had to suffice with brief stolen kisses in the confines of Caspian's cabin. Even in the late-night hours on deck, which had previously offered solitude to the couple, they were afforded no chances for any clandestine encounters as a result of Eustace's constant presence overhead.

The boy-dragon had been flying unremittingly alongside the Dawn Treader like a dog running along with his master's bicycle. Reepicheep had forsaken the ships figurehead dragon for a lookout post between Eustace's ears and the crew joked that even with the increase in capacity, the young relative of the Kings and Queens of old was likely to be getting an earful. Edmund worried about what would happen when his cousin was too tired to go on, for even dragons must tire sometime.

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><p>On their third day out, Eustace and Reepicheep flew ahead and the Pevensies watched as he became smaller and smaller until he appeared no bigger than a ladybird.<p>

"Oh dear," Lucy fretted, chewing on a nail in a most un-Queenly fashion. "He must be exhausted – I do hope he's alright."

Edmund tugged her hand away from her mouth and patted her on the shoulder. The siblings stood wrapped in a bubble of shared concern for a good stretch of time before the speck grew larger once more and the dragon came back into full size over the deck. Reepicheep ran nimbly down the long, sweeping tail, leapt to the mast, and slid down a rope to land at Edmund's feet.

"Land, Your Majesties!" the mouse reported. "There appears to be a village that has come to ruin recently; I saw no inhabitants."

"How awful!" Lucy exclaimed. "What do you suppose happened, Reep?"

"We can't be sure," he replied gravely, "My first guess would be that it was the work of pirates, but there is no sign of any present danger. It would be a good place to rest and replenish our stocks, seeing as how there was so little to be found at the last stop." At this point, the furry knight paused and raised his nose upwards, his whiskers twitching in an agitated manner, "Eustace is weary. He's done marvelously thus far, but I fear he will not be able to endure much longer."

"Of course," Caspian said, having joined them as soon as Reepicheep had landed on the deck. "Is there a place for us to put in?"

"Yes, My Leige. The nearer side of the island is where I saw the ruins, but there is a cove on the far side that would do just as well. Either spot would be near a source of fresh water."

"Do let's go around to the cove," Lucy urged, "I don't fancy sleeping near the ruins – it would be like sleeping in a cemetery."

"Alright then," Caspian announced, "Reep, you and Eustace go on ahead. Tell him to rest up and we'll join you on the far side. Keep an eye out for any sign of pirates or otherwise; if you meet any trouble… well, you've got a dragon with you…"

"A pacifist dragon," Edmund muttered, but the stalwart rodent was already scampering up the rigging and took a flying leap back to Eustace's tail.

As the ship drew closer to the island, Drinian and the Kings took it in turns to peer through a telescope at the wreckage on the shore. A cluster of low stone huts with blackened sides stood at the edge of a wooded area and many of the trees were scarred with the evidence of fire as well. A small pier was half submerged in the water and the remains of a boathouse were strewn across the beach, but there were no boats in sight. There was, as Reepicheep had asserted, no sign of any inhabitants.

"It doesn't look as though they were seafaring people," Edmund remarked as he examined the pier, "I suppose they just took small boats out for fishing. Should we go ashore and have a look around?"

The crew members, however, were not keen on the idea of exploring the barren village. Drinian was opposed to the proposal as well, stating that the dead were best left to rest in peace and it would be unwise to disturb the remains. Edmund's first thought was that this was all superstitious rot, but upon further consideration, and remembering all that had come to pass on Dragon Island, he had to admit that the captain might have a point. Although the nightmares that had plagued them had mercifully ceased since the appearance of the Blue Star, there was no telling where or when the Evil might choose to strike again. At length, although Caspian showed signs of wanting to inspect the ruins, they decided to sail on around to the cove without investigating.

The Dawn Treader proceeded around the cliff-lined north edge of the island and dropped anchor in the clear, turquoise water of a bay on the eastern side. The north portion of the cove was all jagged grey rock that housed a number of small caves and tapered off as it met a vast beach of white sand that composed the remaining border. Edmund compared it to photographs of tropical islands that he had seen in the books of his world, though the vegetation was of an entirely different variety.

Reepicheep greeted them on the beach with news that Eustace, after having a brief kip in a cozy cave, had gone hunting. How the mouse had managed to gather this from someone (or some creature) who was entirely incapable of speech was beyond anyone, but sure enough, Eustace soon came soaring into sight with a large goat clutched in his left claw and two smaller ones in his right.

Several hours later, the goats were roasting over a Eustace-made fire along with a few plump rabbits that Lucy had bagged. The company ate better than they had in weeks the cool, clear water that was attained from a nearby stream had a revitalizing effect on everyone. Despite their full bellies, though, the men began to shift uneasily as the sun began to sink low over the tree line at their backs. Drinian approached the Kings and ventured that perhaps they should head back to the ship for the night. Edmund caught snatches of mutterings about ghosts and spirits from some of the crew as they glanced warily at the caves off to their left.

"Very well," Caspian told the captain, after a brief counsel with Edmund and Lucy, "You and the men return to the ship. The three of us will stay here with Eustace, and I daresay Sir Reepicheep will remain as well."

"And I!" piped up Gael hopefully, but Rhince was having none of it and firmly escorted his daughter towards the boats.

Drinian was clearly perturbed by the idea of leaving the three Royals behind, but did not go so far as to argue with his King. He hesitated on the verge of speech for no more than a few seconds before giving them a brusque nod. Lucy and the two boys accompanied the man as he strode to join his crew, all of whom were already waiting (somewhat anxiously, though trying mightily not to look it) by the boats.

"Don't worry, Drinian," Caspian reassured the captain with the air of a schoolboy placating an over-protective mother, "Two Royals of old, a noble knight of Narnia, and a fearsome dragon! We'll be just fine."

"Add to that King Caspian the Tenth and we'll be more than fine," Edmund put in, and he made to lay his hand on Caspian's shoulder, but caught himself and tried to pass the movement off by running his hand through his own hair. In reality, Edmund could have carried out his intended action without anyone giving it a second thought, but he had been somewhat skittish about showing any overt signs of affection towards Caspian ever since their encounter on Dragon Island. Caspian's eyes flickered towards Edmund, which resulted in both boys averting their eyes quickly and turning slightly pink. Drinian did not appear to notice anything (although the stoic man may very well have detected the fumble and tactfully ignored it) but Lucy shot her brother a swift, calculating look.

"You know," the girl announced, still eyeing Edmund, whose ears were now rather red, "On second thought, perhaps I shall go back; I've grown rather accustomed to chatting with Gael before turning in. You boys will have to manage without me."

Everyone except Caspian, Edmund, and Reepicheep (and, of course, Eustace) piled back into the longboats just as the sun dipped below the trees. As she swung herself into the boat, Lucy looked around to send a decidedly impish grin in her brother's direction and he could have sworn that she winked at him before settling into her seat. Edmund's ears were now, he was sure, positively glowing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Ok, so I'm a little unsure about this chapter; let me know what you think. I debated over whether I should include a love (read: sex) scene or not. Guess which side won ;)  
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**WARNING! This chapter goes from sweet to smutty at neck-breaking speed. If you are offended by or simply don't want to read the smutty part, stop reading at the line. You have been warned.**

**I in no way own or have any claim to Narnia or the characters - and Mr. Lewis would be horrified to know what I have his characters up to. Sorry Mr. Lewis.  
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><p><strong>~Chapter 11~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

Caspian could hardly believe their luck; with only two others staying on the shore for the night, there was a good chance that the young inamoratos might, at last, be able to spend some time alone together. Images of strolling barefoot along the moonlit beach with his arm around Edmund flooded his mind as he watched Lucy climb into the nearest longboat, but he shook them off as his brain focused on the Valiant Queen dropping a puckish wink at Edmund.

_Whatever was that about? _he wondered vaguely – and then, something in his head clicked into place and he whipped his head around to look at the object of his affections, all thoughts of discretion forgotten. Edmund was staring very hard at the toes of his boots, and even in the dim light Caspian could see a definite flush tinting the normally pale face. No one else seemed to take any notice of the blushing King, though, and Caspian swallowed a laugh that had been bubbling up inside his chest. _Thank you, Queen Lucy._

It was not until the longboats were about half-way back to the ship that Edmund lost his newfound fascination with his boots and looked sideways at the taller boy. As one pair of dark eyes met the other, the two Kings both contemplated how they might go about giving their campmates the slip. No brilliant stroke of inspiration came to Caspian, however, and he was just resigning himself to the fact that they would have to wait until Eustace and Reepicheep fell asleep when a scaly snout nudged Edmund gently from behind, causing the boy to nearly fall right into his arms.

As Edmund stabilized himself, Eustace stretched his long neck towards the caves and looked pointedly at his cousin, who in turn looked nonplussed. The dragon began waving and bobbing his head and then lay down in the sand, which sent a large amount of beach flurrying into the air, and closed his eyes as if sleeping before raising his head and looking between the two Kings. Eustace's efforts were rewarded with identical expressions of bewilderment and he snorted in a frustrated manner, smoke curling out of his nostrils.

"I am never, ever picking you to be on my charades team, cousin," Edmund sighed, which earned him confused looks from both Caspian and Reepicheep. "I'm sorry, Eustace, but I haven't the faintest idea what you're trying to get at."

"I rather think, Your Highnesses," Reepicheep ventured, "that Eustace is suggesting we sleep in the caves where he rested earlier. I suppose that his dragonly sensibilities dictate that he be more comfortable sleeping in an enclosed area."

_Well my sensibilities dictate that we not sleep in dark, unfamiliar caves_… Caspian thought, recalling a particular campaign in the Black Mountains and an unpleasant encounter with a pair of werewolves. _Not that I'm afraid… just cautious._

"I dunno, Reep," Edmund interrupted Caspian's internal dialogue, "We have a fire already going here, and starting one up in a cave would be awfully smoky and stuffy. I think" he discreetly elbowed Caspian "that we would prefer to stay here, but I'm sure Eustace would be just fine by himself in a cave."

_That's brilliant! _Caspian restrained himself and did not kiss Edmund right then and there, but he could see where this was going, and sure enough…

"If it pleases you, My Kings, I should not like to leave the boy all alone. I would most certainly accompany Eustace while Your Majesties remain on the beach; caves do not bother me one bit."

"Caspian?" In the firelight, Edmund's eyes twinkled in a mischievous manner that seemed to be a common Pevensie trait. "Your call…"

"That sounds like a reasonable solution to me – everyone would be comfortable and no one would have to be alone. Does that work out for you, Eustace?"

Eustace nodded in agreement and allowed Reepicheep to climb up his snout before affectionately nosing his cousin, which this time _did_ cause Edmund to stumble into Caspian, and calling up a minor sandstorm as he took off for the caves. The dragon and his passenger disappeared among the rocks and Caspian, who had caught Edmund as he fell, lifted the younger boy to his feet but did not release him. For a moment they merely took each other in, stunned at their sudden stroke of luck. As Edmund's arms moved to encircle him, Caspian felt a wave of calm break around him and he brought his mouth down to the soft, sweet lips that he had been longing for.

"That was very clever of you, King Edmund," he chuckled, brushing the tip of his nose over Edmund's lightly freckled one.

"Lucky, is what it was," Edmund smiled sheepishly. "I almost feel as though we tricked them into leaving, but it's not as if they didn't want to go, really…"

"All the better for us," Caspian pressed his lips to Edmund's forehead.

They spread out their blankets on the sand beside the fire, chatting casually as they had when Edmund had first arrived on the Dawn Treader. Caspian had assumed that they would have been overcome with urgency once they finally got some privacy, but now that it was upon them they felt as though they had all the time in the world. They shrugged off their overcoats and vests, kicked off their seaboots and wriggled their toes in the fine sand, drinking in the fragrant air of the secluded cove.

"Oof!"

Caspian's lungs emptied abruptly as he landed on his back in the sand. Edmund had tackled him from the side and a good-natured scuffle ensued, accompanied by some not-so-Royal giggling. They rolled in the sand, wrestling like puppies in a sandbox, with Caspian eventually gaining top and it was Edmund's turn to be pinned on his back to the ground.

"Gotcha," Caspian grinned down at his partner and released Edmund's arms, tucking his elbows in and resting his hands lightly on the younger man's shoulders.

Edmund reached up to sweep Caspian's long hair off his face and pull the Telmarine down for a long, hard kiss that simultaneously sent chills and warmth rushing through his entire body. Panting slightly, he gazed down at the Just King, memorizing and rememorizing every line and curve of his face.

"Caspian…" Edmund's eyes flickered and his dark brow furrowed slightly, "Is this… do you think this is… wrong, somehow?"

"What do you mean, 'wrong'?" Caspian rolled away, uncertainty creeping into his heart. "We don't have to do… this. I just thought…" He stood and walked back to the fire and sat on the blankets to stare into the flames.

"No!" Edmund sprang to his feet and followed Caspian. "I mean yes! I mean, no, I don't _want_ to stop; it doesn't _feel_ wrong. It's just that back in England it's not generally… accepted, I guess, for two men to… to care for each other in the way we do. I've heard boys at school mention… things, but it's not widely talked about. I only meant that I don't know how this kind of… relationship is viewed in Narnia; it's not an issue I ever encountered during our time at Cair Paravel. Is this… normal?"

Caspian continued to stare into the fire, puzzling slightly over Edmund's disjointed rambling. "In Telmar, men only marry women, but it is not uncommon for a man to have a male companion or for his wife to have a female companion. In the days of Miraz's rule, General Glozelle never even married, but he had a well-established partnership with the stablemaster." He pulled his gaze from the blaze and observed Edmund's apprehensive expression. "Apart from you, I have never felt an attraction toward another man, but I would not consider it… abnormal. Even if it were considered to be strange, what would it matter? It feels right to us." Once more Caspian turned his head to the orange glow. "Besides, what about your life is normal anyways? You came to and ruled Narnia thousands of years ago before being transported back to your world where you were years younger and then returned to Narnia recently, which is thousands of years later than when you first arrived, overthrew a corrupt ruler and installed a new King, and then left Narnia again only to be brought back to accompany the Dawn Treader in its adventures, during which your cousin has been turned into a dragon. Are you really concerned with what is normal?"

Edmund stared at Caspian, all traces of doubt gone and replaced by an entirely new expression. "I love you, Caspian."

Caspian's head snapped up and he slid himself over to where the two of them were almost touching. He brought his hand to Edmund's cheek and searched the dark orbs flickering with firelight. "Tell me again."

"I love you, Caspian, King of Narnia."

The kiss was soft, almost chaste, and Caspian felt as though his heart had swelled to five times its normal size. He pulled his mouth away a fraction of an inch.

"I love you too, Edmund."

* * *

><p>Tender, almost tentative kisses slowly increased in intensity. Caspian gently brushed his tongue against Edmund's and a flame ignited in his core. The sense of urgency that had withheld itself earlier came rushing at them like the Great River in springtime. Edmund's hands slipped beneath Caspian's loose shirt and kneaded the muscles in his back. Caspian tugged at the younger King's hem and pulled the garment up and over the messy, black hair of his beloved. Not to be outdone, the smaller man yanked Caspian's shirt over his head and ran his long, pale fingers over the Telmarine's broad chest.<p>

Desire overtook Caspian as Edmund's hands wandered over his stomach and back up his chest and he felt a tightening below his belt. He laid the slender man onto his back and trailed kisses down the pale neck and across Edmund's collarbone, laying his body flush against his partner's and fisting his hands in the dark tangle of hair. A bulge in Edmund's trousers brushed against Caspian's leg and the younger man moaned. Caspian lifted his body over the prone form of his lover and brought his mouth back to Edmund's plump pout to tangle tongues once more. The flame that burned in him erupted into a roaring inferno as he dropped his groin to rub against Edmund and he groaned into the mouth beneath his.

Hands shaking from the assault of sensation, Caspian unclasped Edmund's belt and slowly slid his hand down to grasp the newly freed hardness. Edmund threw his head back and let out a strangled sort of cry, hips bucking upward. He bent his head and gently bit down on one erect nipple as he stroked Edmund's length with sure, strong strokes that elicited an arousing series of gasps and moans from the dark-haired young man.

"Caspian!" Edmund's entire being vibrated and his muscles rippled as Caspian planted feather-light kisses across his abdomen. Caspian felt hands entangle themselves in his hair as he planted his free hand on Edmund's chest, holding the Just King's straining body in place. When he took Edmund into his mouth he felt his companion's form jolt as if a bolt of lightning had struck it.

"Oh, yes!" Edmund rocked his hips and gasped for breath. "Please, Caspian… yes… please…" Caspian grasped Edmund's waist and held him steady. "Oh, yes, CASPIAN!" With a final jerk from the waist, Edmund went rigid and collapsed back on the blankets.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: SMUT WARNING! The first part of this chapter is a continuation of the scene from the last chapter - I couldn't bear to leave Caspian high and dry ;) There is more to the chapter later on, so feel free to skip over the intimate scene. This is going to be the last of the, erm... mature content. From here on out it's mainly going to be drama, romance, and angst (all of the usual suspects)  
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**Many happy vibes to all of you who are following the voyage, and everlasting gratitude to you wonderful reviewers. Keep in mind that constructive criticism is welcomed as well! **

**As always, I must remind you that I do not own any of the characters, vessels, places, etc. - and poor Mr. Lewis must be doing acrobatics in his grave. **

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><p><strong>~Chapter 12~<strong>

_**Edmund**_

A display of fireworks exploded on the inside of Edmund's eyelids as he released himself and fell onto his back. His entire body felt much the way that one's leg does when it goes to sleep, numb and tingly all at once. The weight of Caspian's larger frame settled back over him and they shared a deep, meaningful kiss that caused Edmund's already reeling head to spin at an alarming rate. Caspian peppered little kisses all over his face and nuzzled his neck while the world slowly came back into focus. Edmund gazed fondly into the dark, liquid eyes of the man that he had fallen in love with and played his fingertips over Caspian's scruffy beard.

"Did it scratch you?" Caspian asked, brushing Edmund's cheek lightly.

"No," Edmund breathed, "Well, maybe a little, but that was..." his mind struggled to produce an adequate way to describe what he had just experienced. As he hunted for an appropriate description, he became aware that Caspian's arousal was still very much alive against his leg and, failing to come up with a sufficient word, he settled with "amazing" and reached for Caspian's belt.

A pair of brown trousers landed somewhere in the sand nearby. Caspian let out a soft hiss and his eyes fluttered shut as Edmund took the Telmarine in his hand, tentatively at first, stroking his thumb lightly over the soft, taught skin. Encouraged by a low moan, Edmund's motions became more confident and Caspian's fingers dug into his shoulder.

"Wait…" Caspian panted, grabbing Edmund's wrist lightly.

Edmund looked questioningly up at the older boy. "Sorry… was I… was it not…"

"No – no, that's… wonderful…" Caspian peered into Edmund's eyes, chest heaving with the effort of controlling himself. "Do you trust me, Ed?"

"With my life."

Caspian pulled Edmund up and guided him over onto his knees. Edmund looked over his shoulder as his lover positioned himself behind him, running strong hands over his buttocks and bringing them to rest at his hips.

"Is this… are you alright with this? We can stop if you want, but you have to tell me to stop _now,_ Ed – after I start, I don't know if I could."

"I trust you, Caspian." Two pairs of brown eyes locked and Caspian moved forward slowly. Edmund gasped and his eyes watered as he felt Caspian pushing into him.

"Oh, Ed…" the older King groaned as he entered Edmund and rained kisses over his shoulder blades. Still moving carefully, Caspian began rocking his hips rhythmically into the younger man. Edmund could sense that Caspian was fighting to maintain a deliberate pace and as the initial pain subsided he pushed backward to signal that it was alright to speed up. As Caspian's thrusts increased in tempo, Edmund's whimpers turned into moans of pleasure. Their bodies moved in harmony; Edmund matched each of Caspian's movements with a reciprocal force. Caspian threw his head back and a low growl rumbled from his chest.

"Ed…" Caspian choked out, "I love you, Edmund," the words came in pants, matching the rhythm of his movements, "You're mine now… always..."

And with that, Caspian sank himself all the way into Edmund, fingers biting into the flesh of his hips, and cried out the Just King's name once more as he emptied himself. Upon hearing his name, Edmund felt a shock of ecstasy rip through him so violently that he thought he might physically unravel and his own cry tore through the night air. The couple fell to the ground sweating and panting, allowing haphazard kisses to land on whatever skin presented itself. In the combined warmth of the fire and their love, the two Kings fell asleep peacefully wrapped around one another.

* * *

><p>A chilly breeze dusted itself over Edmund's sleeping form and he snuggled himself deeper into the strong arms that cradled him. He was half afraid that opening his eyes would wake him from a glorious dream, but the sure, steady rise and fall of Caspian's body beneath him reassured him and he cracked his lids open. Blinking blearily in the light of the newly-risen sun, Edmund rubbed the sleep from his eyes and rested his cheek back against Caspian's warm skin for a moment more. With a sigh the young King sat up gingerly and pressed his lips to his lover's eyelids one at a time.<p>

"Jus' a few more minutes," Caspian mumbled, eyes remaining shut.

"If you don't get up now," Edmund informed the gloriously naked King lying beside him, "We won't have time for a bathe before Reepicheep and my cousin come back for us… not to mention my sister and the crew of Your Highness' finest naval ship."

"Oh, alright," one eye opened to squint up at Edmund. Instead of getting up, though, Caspian grabbed Edmund and pulled him back down for a sweet but rather poorly aimed kiss and pretended to go back to sleep with the younger man still held firmly captive in his embrace. Edmund nipped playfully at Caspian's neck and presently, after a few more kisses and nips, the two Kings stood up and stretched in the cool morning sunlight.

They made their way to a happily burbling stream off to the right of their camp and had a drink and a bathe, which ended up taking rather longer than was strictly necessary on account of several episodes of splashing and wrestling and such. By the time the pair had finished washing, the sun had risen considerably higher above the Great Eastern Ocean and they dressed and packed away their camp rather hastily.

"Ed," Caspian pulled him in and kissed his neck before placing a hand lovingly on either side of his face, "I don't like us having to sneak around and hide. We have no idea how much time we're going to have together or what is going to happen once we reach Ramandu's Island; I want to spend every second that I can with you."

Caspian's eyes were sad as he spoke, the pain of their inevitable separation darkening his irises. It was as if someone had popped a bubble that had been isolating them from reality. Edmund thought his heart would shatter into a million pieces under the combined pressure of love and agony. He had tried mightily to not think about his unavoidable departure from Narnia – from Caspian – but there was no point in pretending that it would not happen. In his aching heart, Edmund knew that he could not stay, but that did not keep him from wishing with every fiber of his being that there would be some way for them to remain together.

"That's just it, Caspian," Edmund heard the break in his voice and swallowed hard. "If everyone were to know, it would be more… real. And if it's real, then that means that I have to leave you and that we can't be together forever in a wonderful, beautiful dream. Caspian – the thought of losing you… we've only just…."

Edmund found himself unable to continue and they clung to each other as if the physical force of their embrace could keep time from advancing and bringing them ever closer to saying good-bye. Presently they were joined by Eustace and Reepicheep from the caves and Drinian, Lucy, and the men from the ship and they were forced to bring their minds back to the mission at hand. A team of men went in search of non-perishable foods in the woods while Eustace flew the two Kings and Lucy around to the western side of the island to have a look at the ruined village.

The couple had reached an unspoken agreement to no longer hide their bond, but not to announce or flaunt it either. Eustace, upon landing and seeing his cousin being held intimately by Caspian, had emitted a somewhat surprised snort (which had reignited the extinguished fire) but had ultimately shrugged his wings in a 'do as you will' fashion. Lucy, on the other hand, positively beamed at the sight of Caspian and Edmund unobtrusively holding hands. A few men, Drinian included, took notice of their Kings' change in relations in an offhand sort of way, but Edmund saw no signs of disapproval or, in fact, any surprise at all.

* * *

><p>The two Pevensies and Caspian looked somberly at the devastation that surrounded them. Bones were scattered throughout the huts and spears and arrows that had been snapped to bits littered the ground. Edmund knelt and picked up a crudely carved figurine of a lion that was half buried in the packed dirt. There were no more than a couple dozen structures in the whole establishment and it did not take the trio long to walk through the entire village. Small firepits held ashes of recent fires and shattered pieces of stone cookware.<p>

"They must have been surprised by the attack…" Edmund said bleakly. "It was probably over in a matter of minutes."

Lucy's freckled face was more pale than usual and her blue eyes swam with compassion for the unknown victims. "You don't suppose anyone escaped?" she asked, but there was little conviction in her voice.

"No," Caspian answered her hoarsely, a pained expression screwing up his handsome features. "This is most surely pirates' doing. There can't have been any more than a hundred people inhabiting this village and their weaponry was unsophisticated – meant for hunting, not for battle. If any survived, they are now prisoners of whatever villains did this. If only we'd arrived a few days earlier... we might have rescued them… perhaps if we had not stopped at Dragon Island…"

Edmund felt his own grim expression soften as he regarded Caspian and he took one of the older boy's calloused hands in his own. "You can't save everyone, Caspian. We didn't even know that this land was here, much less that there were people here or that they were in trouble. We have enough to worry about."

"I know," Caspian said heavily, squeezing Edmund's hand in a weary yet grateful sort of way, "I just wish we could have saved them."

They clambered silently back onto Eustace's enormous, golden back and rode in silence over the jagged cliffs. Edmund hugged Caspian from behind and tried to shut out the images of wreckage that burned in his mind. Part of him longed for the happy days of the Golden Age – the time when Narnia represented beauty and goodness, but the solid presence of Caspian's body reminded him that there was still magic and decency to be found in the world. Lucy wept silently at her brother's back, but the Valiant Queen's eyes were nearly dry as they landed back on the eastern shore. Their shipmates had only to look at the faces of their Kings and Queen to know that there was no good news to be had from the expedition, though none had really expected there to be. Rhince shook his head as his daughter buried her face in his side and the men bowed their heads in a moment of silence for the ill-fated men, women, and children of Burnt Island.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Soooooo... here we go. I'm not terribly happy with the flow of this chapter, but it's necessary to move the story along. Not much else to say, because I'm very tired and my spelling and typing abilities are declining with each passing second - and on that note, please excuse any errors that may be present in this chapter. **

**Thank you so very much to crying-tear for your valuable input, and of course to all you other fabulous reviewers and followers. Muah!**

**You know the drill: don't own any of it, and so on and so forth. **

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><p><strong>~Chapter 13~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

The subdued voyagers set out from Burnt Island, once more taking their heading from the Blue Star. The wind was not strong and the going was slow. They tried to take what little heart they could from the fact that stocks had been replenished with enough rations to last for at least several weeks, but even this small blessing, as they were soon to find out, would not last long. The food turned dry and stale as soon as it touched their lips and would not satisfy their hunger, nor would the water do much to quench their thirst. If anything, they only became hungrier and more parched.

"There's no use!" one man said, despair seeping through in his voice as threw his plate down onto the deck. "We're not meant to make it to this Ramandu's Island. The Evil will see to it that we never reach it alive!"

A few other men nodded and muttered in agreement, and all looked quite downhearted. Caspian looked around at the crowd of dejected faces and wondered how he could possibly bolster their spirits when there was not much hope to be found in his own heart.

"Hold your tongue!" Edmund's voice came from Caspian's right, sharp but not cruel. It was not the casual tone that they were all accustomed to hearing, but a stately, regal voice that commanded respect. "We have made it this far, do you all really believe that we have done so on luck alone? We are in the protection of Aslan and he will see us through to the end. I'm not going to pretend that this is pleasant, or that it will get any easier: in all likelihood it will get worse. But we must never give up, no matter what hardships we are brought to face."

Caspian felt hope nudging its way back into his spirits and he felt slightly ashamed that he had allowed it to take leave in the first place. Edmund had addressed the group as a whole and looked directly at the few who would meet his gaze. The pale boy ended his visual circuit of the group and brought his eyes to rest on Caspian, though with the attention of everyone directed at him, he did not let them linger for long.

"Edmund is right." Lucy proclaimed, rising from her seat on Caspian's left and scanning the men with her clear, azure eyes in much the same way that her brother had done. The Valiant Queen directed her gaze at the sailor who had first spoken, "We must not give in to the temptation to lose faith. That is what the Evil is trying to do: tempt us. It wants to force us to give up – to give in.

Edmund nodded approval at his sister. "Lucy and I were brought here by Aslan himself to aid you and your King. We must not lose faith now or ever. We will succeed; good will triumph over evil and Aslan shall prevail."

An almost tangible strength flowed from the Pevensie siblings and Caspian could tell that he was not alone in feeling it. Though they did not appear optimistic, the men had a new air of resolve about them as they rose and returned to their various duties, the unsatisfying food left untouched. Gael's round face shone with admiration as she trailed after her heroine and Caspian wondered if he himself resembled the young girl as he followed Edmund. The power of the King and Queen of old to restore men's faith through words and strength of conviction alone left Caspian awestruck and humbled. He approached Edmund, who was once more contemplating the Blue Star, and slid his arms around the younger man while planting an innocent kiss below a pale ear.

"You are magnificent," he murmured, but even as he did he felt Edmund stiffen in his arms. Caspian straightened and looked down in confusion. At first he could not perceive why the boy had gone rigid in his arms or why those golden-brown eyes were darting around the deck nervously. As he struggled to comprehend Edmund's odd behavior he recalled something that had been said that night on Burnt Island – _"…back in England it's not generally… accepted, I guess, for two men to… to care for each other in the way we do." _Even though the couple had been less reserved with their physical contact since that night, they had not been overtly affectionate in the presence of others.

"Edmund," Caspian turned the younger boy around to face him. "Ed, we don't have to hide… this isn't England, this is Narnia. Why should we be ashamed of our love? Why should anyone?"

"I know where we are, Caspian," Edmund was looking slightly downwards and avoiding his partner's eyes. He no longer spoke in the royal tone that he had addressed the crew with, but in a tense, agonized voice. "But you don't understand how things are where I come from. Our love would be abhorred – it would be considered a crime. If I were to hold your hand or look at you in a certain way… we would be ostracized, Caspian, we would be punished!"

"Peace, my love!" Caspian held Edmund's arms but maintained a distance, not wanting to agitate his friend any more than he already was, "If it disturbs you so much, I will respect your wishes and wait until we are in private to display my affection towards you. I did not realize what sort of environment you came from. It sounds terrible – I cannot begin to imagine what an unnatural world it is that you are accustomed to." The Telmarine paused to try and wrap his mind around this image of the world of England. Even under the rule of his cruel uncle Miraz Caspian could not envision a kingdom where love was a punishable offence. "The idea of being detested and criminalized for loving someone is perverse. Just remember that attitudes are different here, Ed. Also, if it is any comfort, you have my word as the King of Narnia that you shall not be penalized in the event that you decide to kiss me… actually, I'd be rather inclined to reward you."

_**Edmund**_

Caspian's gentle humor snapped Edmund back from the brink of panic and he took a few steadying breaths and looked around less frantically. Not one man or beast on the Dawn Treader, or in the air above it, was paying any attention to the Kings. Lucy was eyeing them surreptitiously, but she did so only out of concern and not out of disapproval or sordid curiosity, for although Lucy was a child from England she was also a Queen of Narnia and in either role she loved her brother unconditionally. In any event, Edmund did not notice that his sister was observing him, and the lack of interest comforted him nearly as much as Caspian's speech.

_Well,_ he reasoned, _It's not as though relatives turn into mythical reptiles on a regular basis in England either, but that doesn't change the fact that my cousin is currently golden, scaly, and flying just off the starboard side of a ship that was previously hanging on the wall of a spare bedroom in Aunt Alberta's house… and I've accepted all that._

Drawing in another deep breath, Edmund hesitantly placed a hand on Caspian's back, and then proceeded to slide it along until his arm was wrapped around the older King's waist. Instinctively, he looked around apprehensively, but stopped himself short and forced himself to relax. His discomfort ebbed in the warmth of Caspian's sturdy presence.

"Forgive me, Caspian. I am not ashamed of our love, I was just… worried. It will take some getting used to."

Caspian smiled fondly down at him, but the smile slackened and became sad. Edmund knew that Caspian was thinking the same thought that had just occurred to him: that they might not have time to get used to it. As the older boy leaned in, Edmund flinched and then winced and mentally slapped himself for the reaction. He knew that he was hurting Caspian when he shied away from public affection, and he also realized that he was depriving them of time that they would never get back.

"Come…" Caspian took Edmund's hand and started aft. Feeling wretched and frustrated on top of everything else, Edmund allowed himself to be pulled into Caspian's quarters. Caspian had chivalrously surrendered the cabin to Lucy and Gael and strung up a hammock with the crew, but the girls were occupied in the galley and the room was vacant. Once inside, Caspian took Edmund's face between his hands and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, and then one on his nose before letting his lips brush delicately along Edmund's. Edmund melted into the larger form and wondered miserably how he could be so uncertain about something that felt so right. He wished that his mind would approach the situation in the same way that it was handling the daunting mission that they faced – with confidence and faith.

A gentle noise like the wings of a bird jostled the silent couple from their embrace and caused the two Kings to look about the cabin. Edmund located the source of the interruption and sank onto one knee, followed seconds later by Caspian. From out of the wall where a golden ornament of a lion's head had been mounted emerged the graceful, tawny body of an enormous lion.

"Arise, Kings of Narnia."

The two men arose and looked into the majestic, knowing gaze of Aslan. Edmund felt the same overwhelming sense of humility that he always did in the presence of the great Lion. He remembered, with no small degree of shame, the very first time that he had ever spoken with Aslan. Now, just as it had been then, he felt those wise, yellow eyes examining his very heart and soul.

"You are nearing the end of your journey, Sons of Adam. You have faced many trials and the greatest are yet to come."

"The end?" Caspian asked. "Are we to journey to the End of the World?"

"That is not for you to know right now," Aslan rumbled in his low, growling voice.

"And we… that is, Lucy and I…?" Edmund left the question hanging, unable to voice the last part out loud.

"You will soon be returned to your own world. This is to be your last visit to Narnia, King Edmund."

He had been expecting it since first finding himself in the waters of Narnia's Great Eastern Ocean, but upon hearing it from Aslan, Edmund felt his heart break clean in two. "But… Eustace?" He knew that he was desperately grasping at straws, "Our cousin is a dragon; he cannot go back to England in that state! We can't go back yet, Aslan, please…"

Edmund cast a despairing look at Caspian. He knew that there was no point in trying to beg or negotiate and he felt as though a vice was being tightened around his chest. Caspian's face expressed the anguish that Edmund was feeling and for the first time ever Edmund felt something dangerously close to anger towards Aslan. He slammed his eyes shut and turned his head away.

"Dear One," a soft, velvety nose touched Edmund's forehead lightly, right where Caspian had planted a kiss moments earlier. "Your relative still has some journey yet ahead of him, as do all of you. You are not leaving this very moment. I am only telling you that the time of your departure draws near. You have learned much during your time in Narnia… and you have taught a great deal as well." The golden mane swept over Edmund's cheek as Aslan turned his shaggy head to look at Caspian. "Edmund and Caspian, you were brought together not only to fight Evil, but to learn from one another and grow together as well; that is why your destinies are entwined."

"Entwined only to be split apart…" Caspian's voice broke and he sought for Edmund's hand and gripped it tightly. "Brought together only to be separated… for what purpose?"

"There are some things that you cannot learn from books or from ruling a kingdom or from fighting battles and wars. There are some things that you are only meant to learn from a certain person."

"That's a cruel fate," Edmund choked out. "How are we going to live, knowing what we have lost?"

Aslan growled softly. "Loss is as much a part of life as love is. You each have your own destinies, your own purposes to carry out. Narnia will need a King after Caspian is gone; there would be no heir to the throne if you were to remain here, Edmund. This is not your world Edmund, nor is it your time. You belong to a different world and a different time. Your family needs you there."

"I need him here," Caspian said softly.

"No," Aslan replied, "It is not _need_ that binds you together, it is love. There is a difference. You are a fine King, Caspian, and you will be a fine husband and father. Edmund must walk his own path, and you must walk yours."

"Narnia will not have an heir by me either way," Caspian declared. "My heart will go wherever The Just King goes, no matter how many worlds separate us." The dark, Telmarine eyes shone with tears and Edmund felt his own eyes stinging.

"A part of it will." Aslan said simply. "But the heart has an unlimited capacity for love. There will be an heir to your throne; your son will have the blood of the stars in his veins and he will be as fine a King as his father. I know that it is difficult for you to understand now, my sons, but all things will be made right in the end. Have faith."

And with that, the Lion was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: As a few of you have mentioned... the end is near! =( Actually, I have already written the ending, but I'm not giving any hints. Stick with me! To you marvelous, marvelous followers and reviewers - both old and new - thank you a million. **

**The usual disclaimer: I don't own or have any rights to Narnia, Aslan, the Dawn Treader, or any of the not-so-merry voyagers. None. **

**And also, a new disclaimer: I have no intention of offending anyone; if anyone is offended then they should most definitely stop reading. Writing Narnia fan fiction of this nature is weird in the sense that the original Chronicles of Narnia hold religious meaning. Please do not come after me with pitchforks and torches, although I doubt anyone who has read this story to this point is the sort of person who would.  
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><p><strong>~Chapter 14~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

The Lion's abrupt departure left the two Kings alone once more and they looked at each other, twin expressions of grief shadowing their faces. Caspian's knees threatened to buckle and he lowered himself to the cushioned seat by the porthole. He felt disoriented, both by the sudden appearance and disappearance of Aslan and by the deluge of emotion that tore through him. Edmund – his dearest friend, his lover, his comforter and teacher – was going to be taken away. They had known it all along, but hearing it directly from the Lion's mouth seemed to solidify the certainty that they would soon be worlds apart.

Edmund joined Caspian on the window seat and wrapped his arms around the older boy, cradling him in a gesture full of love and sorrow. Caspian felt a single tear drop slide down his cheek and watched as it left a blotchy circle on the front of Edmund's shirt. The Just King lifted Caspian's head and kissed the moisture from his cheek.

"I wish that we could have had more time together," Edmund brushed Caspian's hair back from his face.

"I wish that we could have had forever together," Caspian replied softly, meaning it completely.

"Me too," Edmund kissed Caspian again, sweetly and sincerely.

"It's silly…" Caspian confessed, "But a part of me had hoped that maybe… maybe you would stay. You were in Narnia for years during the Golden Age. I had thought that there might be a way…"

Caspian tried to prevent images of a future that they would never have from flashing through his mind. Ruling Narnia side by side, living in Cair Paravel and growing old together. Edmund gazed sadly at him, as though he could see the montage that played in Caspian's head. Caspian felt his heart break for what felt like the millionth time in the last few days as they mourned the loss of a life that could never be.

"You will have a good life, Caspian, Aslan told you this. You have a responsibility to Narnia and your people. You will have a family… you will be happy." Caspian could hear pain infused in the younger King's voice.

"We could have been happy together..."

"But it's not to be," Edmund made a strangled sound in his throat, as if swallowing tears. "Aslan knows what he is doing, even if we cannot understand it. We will just have to trust that. He meant for us to be together, but only for a little while. We were brought together across the boundary of worlds, and being separated by that boundary will not stop me from loving you, Caspian."

"Nor I from loving you," Caspian vowed. He took both of Edmund's slender hands into his own and held them in his lap. The sunlight splashed through the window onto Edmund's pale face and Caspian tried to memorize every detail of it, from the smallest freckle and the tiniest eyelash to the bow of his lips and the way his hair curled over the shell of his ears. Edmund's sparkling, earth-toned eyes, Caspian knew, would forever be etched into his memory.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

The Dawn Treader crept slowly through the Great Eastern Ocean as Edmund climbed the stairs and nodded a greeting to the helmsman. The air was so still that they could have been in a desert just as soon as on the sea. The oars had been lowered and the rowing crew labored to keep the ship moving. Edmund thought back to Aslan telling them that their voyage was nearing its end and wondered how many more hardships would befall them before they reached that point or even before they reached Ramandu's Island. He glanced upwards at Eustace who was circling around the prow of the ship.

"He's getting tired again," Lucy came to rest beside her brother. "I think it's harder for him now that we're going at this pace. I wish we knew how to turn him back into a boy."

"I do too, Lu. But we're just going to have to wait and see what happens." Edmund sighed in a resigned manner and Lucy could tell that he, like her, was at the point of not knowing what else to do other than cling desperately to a faith that was constantly being tested.

"Yes, that's about all we _can _do. Aslan will set things right..." Lucy's thought trailed off and she examined her brother, who was not exhibiting any signs of attentiveness, but was looking down onto the deck. She followed his gaze and saw Drinian and Caspian conversing. The former appeared to be agitated, but the latter looked just as distracted as Edmund. "I suppose… I suppose we will have to leave sooner rather than later…"

Edmund brought his attention back to his sister and squinted down at her questioningly.

"I just meant that, well… maybe we could stay," she said wistfully, "Like the old days, in Cair Paravel, when we were younger. Or older. Well, you know."

The boy sighed again and looked down at the deck, a heart-wrenching shadow flitting across his face. "No, Lu. I don't think that we can. It's different this time."

The Valiant Queen tactfully turned her sapphire eyes out to the sea and gave her brother a moment to reign in his emotions. "I guess I don't really believe that we could, either…" She straightened and gave Edmund a sympathetic look. "Edmund, there are two things that not even Aslan can prevent us from taking back to our world. One of them is memories."

"And the other?"

"Love." Lucy patted her older brother on the shoulder and, being the unfailingly astute girl that she was, left him to his thoughts.

Edmund watched her as she descended the stairs and felt a rush of gratitude towards his youngest sibling. He had not always been the kindest of brothers to her in their younger days, and at times had been downright rotten. After their first adventure in Narnia, though, they had grown closer and she never failed to amaze him with her empathy and compassion. He would not, he knew, ever be able to tell Peter or Susan (especially Susan) about his love for Caspian or about the relationship that he had developed with the Telmarine, but Lucy just _knew_ and she understood. Edmund hoped that Eustace might be even marginally as understanding, or at the very least find it in himself to keep his silence regarding matter once they were returned to England.

The Just King shook himself out of his contemplative state and stood to greet Caspian, who had finished his discussion with Drinian and was headed towards the younger man. Caspian stopped on the final step so that the two Kings were level and clapped Edmund on the shoulder in a friendly manner, but maintained a cordial distance. Edmund, however, leaned forward and kissed him lightly. A surprised smile pulled the corners of Caspian's mouth upwards and he cocked his head slightly, causing a lock of hair to fall across his face.

"We have been joined together by love and by the will of Aslan," Edmund whispered, tucking the wayward hair back behind Caspian's ear. "I am neither afraid nor ashamed."

Caspian beamed at the slighter man and they allowed themselves a brief interlude before turning their minds towards the business at hand.

"Drinian is starting to worry again," Caspian said, "And the crew's morale is waning. The Blue Star does not appear to be getting any closer and there is still no sign of Ramandu's Island – or any land at all. I know that we are close, but it is difficult to convince the men of it."

"I sort of figured as much," Edmund ran a hand through his hair so that it stuck up in several different directions. "What do you…" He stopped midsentence and the two men looked around the deck, seeking the source of an outcry.

A member of the crew, the same one who had expressed despair before, had yelled something about eating a dragon. Eustace's slightly smoking nostrils were flaring and he was flapping his vast, bat-like wings in a disturbed manner. To Edmund it appeared, though he couldn't be certain, that his cousin was less than amused by the comment. He watched in concern as Eustace wheeled around and a somewhat startled cry from Reepicheep reached the deck.

"If we don't find land by tonight," Drinian began as he climbed towards the two Kings, "They may well eat that…"

A shuddering jolt ran through the Dawn Treader and Drinian was pitched forwards before he could conclude his statement. Edmund and Caspian were both thrown onto their backs and thuds from below signified that bodies all over the ship had been hurled into various solid objects. The three men, like all good warriors, were scrambling to their feet almost as soon as they hit the deck.

"What did we hit?" Caspian gasped as he helped Drinian to his feet.

The crew lined the sides of the ship, craning their necks to see what had caused the disturbance. Edmund's mind ran wildly through the possibilities, starting with 'a rock?' and ending with 'a sea serpant!' The Just King caught hold of a rope and stretched himself as far as he dared out over the bulwark.

"Eustace!" He exclaimed excitedly, "That's brilliant!"

Eustace had wrapped his serpentine tail around the figurehead dragon's snout and was towing the Dawn Treader through the Great Eastern Ocean like a tugboat. As the crew cottoned on to what had happened, a cheer rose from the deck and applause broke out. Edmund watched powerful wings beating the still air and felt a wave of pride for his cousin.

_He's not such a bad bloke, after all… _Edmund mused._ Maybe a new perspective is just what he needed._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

Eustace's stroke of genius rallied the crew's spirits and the rowers were given a rest a last. Despite their thirst and hunger and weariness, the voyagers were feeling slightly more optimistic and the overall attitude towards Eustace had been transformed. There was certainly no more talk of eating dragons. Lucy and Gael stood at the base of the forecastle shouting words of encouragement and praise and the men were leaning over the sides of the Dawn Treader like tourists from a bus. Caspian and Edmund retired to Caspian's cabin once more.

"Eustace may very well have saved us," Caspian remarked, resting his forearms on the railing of the balcony. "I would never have guessed it of him when we first pulled a hysterical brat out of the ocean." He paused and watched the wake of the Dawn Treader frothing the blue waters. "There is a lot that I did not expect when we brought you all on board..."

"That seems so long ago," Edmund squeezed the older boy's hand.

"What do you think we'll find on Ramandu's Island, Ed?" Caspian stood, encircling Edmund with one arm and resting his cheek against tousled black hair.

"There's no telling," Edmund shook his head and Caspian's head wobbled slightly with the motion. The younger boy toyed with the sleeve of his lover's shirt. "Aslan's Table is there, but we have yet to find the final four swords. Perhaps they will be there – maybe even the Lords Revilian, Mavramorn, Argoz, and Rhoop. At the very least, we're bound to find some answers."

"I hope so," Caspian strode towards the table in his cabin that held the three swords. He sat inspecting them all before lifting Lord Octesian's blade and tilting it so that it caught the light. "We can't be sure the other Lords even made it to Ramandu's Island."

Edmund draped himself over the back of the chair and nestled his chin onto Caspian's shoulder. He gently pushed the sword back to the table. "We shall know very soon. I have a feeling that everything is about to happen all at once. Let us enjoy the calm before the storm as much as it is possible to."

"You're right, my love," the older King twisted his head to kiss Edmund. He knew what his companion was really saying: this might be their last time alone together.

The couple lay back on the bed, Edmund's cheek resting against Caspian's chest. Caspian let his thumb trace small circles softly across the back of the pale hand that fit so perfectly into his own. They knew that talking about their circumstance would only cause more pain, so instead they purposefully kept the conversation on trivial topics. In the end, the two Kings lapsed into silence and let the harmony of their breathing and their synchronized heartbeats take the place of words.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Sorry for my long absence! Life is crazy, and I am not (alas!) paid to write. **Thanks, as ever, to the reviewers and followers. **This chapter also gave me some trouble because of a certain starry miss (darned interfering woman!) Just kidding, but Liliandil is difficult for me to introduce to the story because she catches Caspian's attention. I altered the storyline a bit (once again), and the two POVs overlap a smidgen. Please let me know what you think! **

**I still don't own any rights to anything (and never will).  
><strong>

**~Chapter 15~**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

As the two longboats drew closer to Ramandu's Island, Edmund shielded his eyes from the sun. Numerous waterfalls cascaded down steep cliffs that were covered in lush, green vegetation. Perched on top of the cliffs was a large stone castle, the only visible sign of habitation. Edmund nudged Caspian in the side with his elbow and nodded towards the structure.

They brought the boats into an alcove that Eustace and Reepicheep had directed them to. An enormous stone archway had been grown over with years of vines and moss. Edmund shone his torch through the threshold and he and Caspian and Lucy peered into the illuminated darkness. A worn path curved up away from them and the way was so overgrown that very little light was able to penetrate the canopy of trees.

"This must be the way up to the castle," Lucy said, her voice echoing off of the rock.

The three Narnian Royals stood in the archway, straining their eyes against the twilight of the passageway. Edmund wished heartily that he were back on the Dawn Treader, nestled against Caspian's form. A broad, familiar hand squeezed his right shoulder, and at the same moment a tiny, delicate hand rested itself on his left elbow. He looked to his right where Caspian gave him a half-smile, and then to his left where Lucy gave him the tiniest of nods. Behind them, Drinian cleared his throat and Tavros snorted.

"Right, then," Edmund broke the silence. "Me first with the light?"

"Yes," Caspian concurred, "And then Lucy and Drinian right behind. Tavros next, and Rhince and Rynelf as the rear guard. The rest of you fall in line and be on the alert. Eustace and Reepicheep, keep watch here."

"And you?" Edmund asked.

"I'll be right here, with you," Caspian said, and then in a lower voice that only Edmund (and possibly Lucy) could hear, "Always."

The party proceeded, following the path back into the cliffs and then up along a street that was carved right into the very cliff wall. They climbed upwards for what seemed like hours with hardly a word spoken. Just when Edmund thought that they might have been mistaken about the passage leading them into the castle, they emerged into an open cavern to find themselves standing at the end of a bridge that spanned a cascade of silvery water pouring down the cliffs. At the opposite end of the bridge, they passed under the roots of an enormous tree and were met with a wondrous sight. An ornately carved stone table, laden with exquisite food and set with gold, was stretched along the length of a dimly lit hall formed by ancient trees.

Edmund, who had learned on his very first trip to Narnia that food from an unknown source should be considered suspect, remained wary. The two Kings and Drinian exchanged suspicious looks, while Lucy looked curious but cautious. Tavros, however, did not share their qualms and started forward along with several other men.

"Food!"

"Wait!" Drinian growled a warning at them.

Edmund continued down the length of the table, searching for signs of anything malevolent. At the far end of the table was a tangle of branches that appeared to have crept up over the edges. Edmund shone a beam over the cluster. Faces jumped out at him from within the nest and he jumped back with a cry. Lucy gasped and the hiss of swords being unsheathed rasped through the hall. Caspian and Edmund crept forward, blades held aloft. It became apparent that none of the three men who were seated at the end of the table were at all aware of the arrival of a large group of people; they had not moved an inch or reacted in any way.

"Lord Revilian," Caspian announced, pointing the tip of his sword down at the table.

Edmund moved the beam of light to shine on a hand that bore a ring with a crest engraved upon it, and then moved the beam sideways to another hand bearing a similar ring, and then a third.

"Lord Mavremorn. Lord Argoz."

Lucy leaned forward to lift the grey hair that had grown over Lord Argoz's face, and then leapt back as the old man emitted a faint wheezing sound.

"He's breathing!" Caspian exclaimed.

"So are they!" Edmund took a closer look at the other Lords. He had a flashback of a frozen courtyard filled with stone statues. "They're under a spell."

"It's the food!" Caspian shouted.

Several of the men let food fall from their hands as though it had scalded them. Edmund shone his light over the feast, searching for more evidence, when the glow passed over an object that was neither food nor table setting.

"Hey!" he said excitedly, his mind racing as the pieces clicked into place "It's the stone knife! This is Aslan's Table!"

Caspian caught on at once and he looked down at the Lords, "Their swords!"

Lucy and the two King's pulled the swords from the enchanted Lords' belts and laid them on the table, adding the swords of the Lords Bern, Restimar and Octesian to the collection.

"That's six," Edmund proclaimed, head spinning slightly from the sudden rush of revelation.

"Still missing one," Caspian finished the thought, and even as he spoke the swords began to glow a brilliant blue.

"Look!" Lucy cried, looking up through the trees that formed the hall.

All eyes lifted to watch in awe as the Blue Star descended through the branches and rested by Aslan's Table. The light from the swords paled in comparison to the orb. The glow of the Blue Star intensified to a glare that was impossible to look directly at, and when it lessened there was no longer a star, but a woman. Edmund felt a wave of peace and something else that he could not quite define break around him as he stared in wonder at the beautiful woman who stood before him. The light of a star seemed to emanate from her and when she spoke her voice was soft yet ringing.

"Travelers of Narnia, welcome."

There was an almost heartbreaking quality to the woman's beauty, and Edmund felt the echo of a memory nudging its way into his mind.

"Who are you?" he asked, unable to look away.

"I'm Liliandil, daughter of Ramandu. I am your guide."

"You're a star," Caspian's voice broke through the haze that had temporarily enveloped Edmund's brain.

Edmund glanced at Caspian and saw that the Telmarine was just as awestruck by Liliandil as Edmund himself was. With a jolt, Edmund heard Aslan's voice as it had spoken in to Caspian on the Dawn Treader.

"_There will be an heir to your throne; your son will have the blood of the stars in his veins and he will be as fine a King as his father."_

The blood of the stars. This woman – this star – would be the one to give birth to the heir to the Narnian throne. Liliandil would be Caspian's Queen. Edmund waited for jealousy or anger to break to the surface. Instead, as he watched Caspian encountering his future wife for the first time, Edmund felt a bittersweet acceptance beginning to settle over him. It was as though a shot of Novocain had been administered to Edmund's heart, for even though he could feel it shattering, the pain was distant and muted.

"Wait," Edmund interrupted the dialogue that he had only partially been paying attention to. "What happened to them?" he gestured at the Lords.

Liliandil explained that the Lords had been driven to the brink of insanity by their voyage through the Mist and had been violent upon their arrival at Aslan's Table. They had therefore been put into an enchanted sleep.

"Will they ever wake?" Lucy questioned.

Liliandil smiled reassuringly, "When all is put right."

With those words, Edmund began at last to understand what he had previously not allowed himself to accept. Aslan's plans concerned what was right for Narnia. Maybe it was not what was right by Edmund or by Caspian, but in the end, things would be set right for the greater good. For Narnia and its people. Aslan had blessed Edmund and Caspian with the discovery of love, and in a way he would bless them with the lessons of heartbreak and loss.

"Come," Liliandil now spoke to the three Royals. "There is little time."

Caspian followed the future Queen quickly, and Edmund saw Lucy cast him a worried look. He smiled sadly and offered his sister an arm as they started after Caspian and Liliandil.

"It's alright," he told her. "All will be made right in the end."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

"You're a star."

The king of Narnia was mesmerized. The woman standing before him was unlike any being he had ever seen before. From the other side of the table, he heard Edmund make a small noise that sounded like "Oh!"

Immediately, Caspian felt a pang of guilt and looked sideways at Edmund. The younger man was staring at Liliandil, but his face showed no signs of jealousy or hurt. The Just King's expression was both awed and sad at the same time. Liliandil spoke again and Caspian turned his attention back to the star woman. He could not help but feel drawn toward her, but at the same time he did not understand why he was. He loved Edmund. It was Edmund who he held above all others, Edmund who could pull him back from the darkest depths and keep him going through the worst of conditions, and Edmund who could take his heart to places that he had not even known or imagined to exist. Would Caspian really let a beautiful face distract him from that?

_No. _Caspian thought, _She is not taking my love away from Edmund. But there is a reason for her being here, she is a messenger, she is our guide. Following her seems right, it feels right. Edmund will understand. I love him. He knows that. Perhaps he is drawn to her as well._

Edmund certainly looked just as dumbstruck as every other man in the hall. There was something else in his eyes though, a knowing look that Caspian could not decipher. As he followed Liliandil he felt wretched for being unable to ward off his attraction to this star that went before him. What evil was at work that would do this to him? Was this another trick of the Mist? Somehow, he knew that it was not. Liliandil was good and pure; there was no darkness in her.

"The magician Coriakin told you of Dark Island." Ramandu's daughter stopped and looked out towards a churning mass of darkness as Edmund and Lucy joined them. Dark Island leached the light from its surroundings and blotted out the horizon. "Before long, the Evil will be unstoppable."

Caspian observed Dark Island with trepidation. "Coriakin said to break the spell, we must lay the seven swords at Aslan's Table."

"He speaks the truth," Liliandil confirmed.

"But we only found six," Edmund said, eyeing Liliandil. "Do you know where the seventh is?"

The girl pointed straight out across the water, "In there." She looked around at her three companions in turn, an almost sympathetic look on her face. "You will need great courage."

Silence fell over them as Lucy and the boys let that statement sink in. They would have to go to Dark Island and face whatever was there if they were going to put things right. Caspian felt fear bubbling up in his gut and he half wished that Liliandil would go away.

"Waste no time," the lady of the stars told them. "It grows stronger every moment that we stand here. Before you go, though, I must speak with you."

Caspian looked at the woman and saw that it was to Edmund that she spoke. His eyes darted back and forth between his lover and Ramandu's daughter. Edmund's face mirrored the confusion that Caspian was experiencing. Lucy was pulling gently on his sleeve, and he knew that he should follow her. Before he could stop himself, he turned and looked down into Liliandil's radiant, angelic face.

"I hope we meet again."

Her glowing eyes, as blue as the star that she was in her other form, searched his own eyes for the briefest of seconds. "I believe that we shall. Goodbye… for now."

Caspian turned and followed Lucy back down towards the hall. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Liliandil's light shining through the trees. She was speaking to Edmund, whose head was bowed as if in grief. As they rejoined the rest of their party, the King's eyes rested on the three Lords, still slumbering in their seats.

_All things will be made right_ _in the end,_ Caspian sighed heavily. _I just don't see how. If I lose Edmund, how could any of this be right? Even if I do see Liliandil again, it would not matter. I am lost without Edmund._

And then, just as it had come to Edmund, the memory of their conversation with Aslan burst upon Caspian. The Telmarine gasped and snapped his head around in the direction from which he had just come.

"Caspian, are you alright?" Lucy frowned worriedly at him.

"I don't know," he answered her. "But I suppose all will be, in the end."

She raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a small grin. "You know, I've been hearing that a lot lately."

_**Edmund**_

_He hasn't realized yet._ Edmund watched Caspian's retreating back until he could no longer see it clearly in the darkness. Then he turned to face Liliandil. _She really is extraordinarily beautiful._

Edmund looked at the daughter of Ramandu and waited for her to speak. He did not resent her for being the one with whom Caspian would share his life with, but he could think of nothing about which the two of them needed to discuss in private and every second that he spent in her presence brought him closer to feeling the full force of his agony.

"You are in pain," Liliandil said, a statement, not a question.

"How do you mean?" he asked her, somewhat warily.

She smiled kindly at him and laid a slender hand on his arm. Warmth spread from the place where she touched him, as if her light was seeping through him.

"I am, in part, the source of your sorrow. This pains me; I do not wish to bring such misery upon you."

Edmund bowed his head and fought to maintain his composure.

"Know this, King Edmund of Narnia," Liliandil raised his chin with her hand and looked directly into his eyes. "Love knows no boundries and has no limits. Let that be a comfort to you. Be strong."

The Just King did not look away as his tears broke free and flowed down his pale face and glistened like diamonds in Liliandil's light. He merely nodded and lightly touched the star woman's cheek. There was nothing more that needed to be said. He knew that Liliandil would give Caspian all the love that he deserved.

"Goodbye." Liliandil faded into a brilliant burst of light, and the Blue Star shot back into the sky.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: It's late and I'm exhausted, so here's the bullet point version =)**

***A million and a half thank yous to all you reviewers and followers, both old and new**  
><strong>*Apologies for the long intervals between chapters - between holiday season bearing down upon us and the responsibilities of my new grown-up job, writing time is slim<strong>  
><strong>*Not mine, none of it. If it offends you, don't read it.<strong>  
><strong>*Next chapter will be better, I promise.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>~Chapter 16~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

As the Dawn Treader drew closer to Dark Island, two Kings donned their battle gear in silence, the nearly tangible presence of fear crowding the cabin. Caspian secured his last buckle and quelled the panic that threatened to take hold over him. Opposite him, Edmund slipped a breastplate over his head and adjusted it over his shoulders while fumbling for the straps. Each second counted down their remaining time together and Caspian felt a pressing need to attempt one last time to put into words his exact feelings for the Just King.

"In case we don't get through – whatever this is – I just want you to know that I think of you as my brother, Ed."

Edmund looked up from his straps, with which he was having difficulty fastening, and raised a dark eyebrow in an almost comical fashion. Caspian realized how wildly inappropriate his statement sounded, and how short of the mark it had fallen. The King blew out his breath and tried once more.

"What I meant is that you're a part of me that cannot be erased. Whatever happens in there, or in the future, or ever... I really do love you Ed: with all my heart and soul and being, across every world and through every hell that exists, for all of time and beyond. I love you."

Their eyes, so familiar to each other, snapped together like magnets and the two souls, through the medium of a gaze, joined together and imprinted themselves on their counterpart.

"I know." Edmund told his King, eyes never leaving Caspian's. "I love you too, Caspian, in the same manner, and I will never forget you. The time that we have had and the bond that we share will always be in my heart. Even if Aslan himself said that he could erase the memories and that we could forget the pain, I would not choose it. I could not. I am yours, forever and always."

With this vow from his beloved, Caspian began to feel the same reluctant acceptance that Liliandil's words had triggered in Edmund. There was no stopping the advance of time or the flow of fate. Their separation would be excruciating, to be sure, but he would never truly loose Edmund. The sorrow and the terror that had been threatening to suffocate him loosened their hold on his chest just enough for him to draw in a deep draught of air as a small tear released itself to trickle into his beard. Caspian moved around behind Edmund to help the younger man with his armor. Edmund turned his head and the couple brushed foreheads lovingly, savoring the closeness of one another.

"There," Caspian said, securing the final buckle and wrapping Edmund's belt around his waist. He pressed a tender kiss into the hollow of Edmund's neck. "You gave up your sword," he observed, stepping back and watching the younger King fasten his belt, which was now devoid of a weapon.

"It wasn't mine to keep," Edmund said off-handedly, no trace of regret in his voice. Titles, positions and possessions no longer held any power over him. The only possession he desired was his Caspian's heart and the only title he wished to hold was that of Caspian's love.

"Use this." Caspian opened a glass case and took Rhindon, the sword of the High King Peter, from it. He held it out to Edmund.

Edmund contemplated the sword in a rather intimidated fashion. "But it's…"

"Peter would want you to have it," Caspian interrupted him, "_I_ want you to have it. I want to know that you are protected."

Edmund nodded and accepted Rhindon wordlessly. It was the second time that Caspian had presented his friend with a sword, and just as it had been the first time, there was no verbal expression of gratitude necessary.

* * *

><p>The crew of the Dawn Treader had emptied the armory and gathered on deck as the fog around the ship became thicker and more oppressive. They shifted nervously and many had given up all pretense of bravery. Gael was tucked into her father's side and gripped Lucy's hand so tightly that both girls' knuckles had turned white. A younger man, no older than Edmund, retched over the side of the ship and looked around to see if anyone had taken notice. The few that were not so preoccupied with their own fear that they <em>had<em> noticed graciously feigned ignorance. Who could blame him?

"They're waiting for you to address them," Drinian muttered to Caspian.

Caspian did his best to not look startled. Of course he would have to say something, he was the King. He looked beseechingly at Edmund. It was the Pevensies who possessed the gift of speaking to the hearts of their people. Caspian had given many speeches before battles, but never to men who faced anything of this magnitude. What could he possibly say that might lessen the burden that had been laid on his men's shoulders?

"Speak from your heart, not your lips," Edmund whispered, squeezing the back of his neck lightly and nodded encouragingly. From across the deck, Caspian saw Lucy offer an identical gesture.

"Whenever you're ready, highness," the Captain prodded, not unkindly.

Caspian mounted the stairs to stand at the base of the forecastle, heart pounding wildly. The lanterns cast a hazy light over the familiar faces of his subjects… of his friends. Drinian, courageous and steadfast. Tavros, brave and strong. Rynelf, loyal and clever. Rhince, who would do anything for his family and his people. Even Gael, so young to be facing such horrors, had proved herself to be a true Narnian. And of course, Lucy the Valiant, ever steady and true. From the back of the crowd, Edmund watched him those wise, beautiful eyes and Caspian began speaking without thinking any further.

"No matter what happens here, every soul who stands before me has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader." Caspian made sure to look especially at the young sailor who had been bent over the bulwark a few moments earlier, for he wanted the boy to know that his King had faith in him. "Together we have travelled far. Together we have faced adversity. Together, we can do it again."

Whether it was his imagination or not, Caspian rather thought that the men stood a little straighter, and that their chins rose a bit. Caspian continued speaking, only half paying attention to the words, but putting pouring his emotions into his speech. He thought of everything that they were fighting for, for the world that they sought to save. He thought of the Pevensies and their legacy. He thought of Edmund.

"Think of Aslan," he told the now upturned faces, "Think of Narnia."

Caspian stopped and felt as though he was coming out of a trance. He could think of no more to say, and began to descend from his position.

"For Narnia!" A voice rang out and the cry was echoed across the deck of the Dawn Treader. "For Narnia! For Narnia!"

Caspian looked up in astonishment, and saw the entire crew with fists and daggers, swords and crossbows, thrust into the air. Fierce Narnian spirit glared from the faces of his men. From the helm, Drinian inclined his head towards his King. Over the top of the rally, Caspian saw Edmund still standing at the rear, eyes shining and face glowing with pride.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Edmund<strong>_

The lanterns of the Dawn Treader flickered dimly in the fog that enveloped the ship. A chill shot right through to Edmund's bones, and he could sense the presence of the Evil surrounding them. It came crawling over the prow and seeping over the sides of the ship onto the deck. The Mist infiltrated the Dawn Treader, whispering in the ears of the voyagers and seeking out the darkest parts of their minds.

"_Edmund…" _

The voice made the Just King's skin crawl. He turned his head slowly, knowing without looking who was calling to him. Hovering just off the starboard side, the ghostly form took on the horrible mask of the woman who had haunted Edmund's conscience for years.

"_Come with me. Be my King," _the White Witch hissed, "_I'll let you rule."_

She was trying to manipulate him with things that no longer tempted him. Instead she served to remind him of all the horrible things he had ever done in the name of vanity, and spite, and foolish pride. Edmund set his jaw and looked her in the face.

"Go away," he spat at her, "You're dead."

"_You can never kill me," _the Mist laughed at him, drifting away, "_I'll always be alive in your mind, silly boy… you only see me because there is a part of you that still wants what I can offer you."_

"NO!"

"Edmund!" Lucy grabbed his elbow and he whipped around to face her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he replied, grateful as ever to have his sister there. Lucy always had been the strongest when faced with Evil's temptations.

Judging by the shifty stances of the men around him, Edmund was not the only one to have seen manifestations within the Mist. The crew peered uneasily through the gloom, tense hands clutched around various weapons. A low, keening sound penetrated the fog and grew louder as the Dawn Treader drew even with a group of rocks jutting out of the murky waters.

"Keeep awaaaaay!" a voice howled from the rocks, reverberating through the heavy air. "Keep awaaaaaaay!"

"Who's there?" Edmund demanded, leaning over the starboard as the archers lined up.

"We do not fear you!" Caspian declared.

"Nor I you!" the voice retorted.

Edmund fumbled for his torch and shone the beam out over the dark water. His beam caught a movement on the closest rock and he centered the figure in the circle of light. An old man, wasted and with terrified eyes protruding from a sunken face, gripped a sword in his hands and glared at the Dawn Treader. Edmund peered closer and he felt his heart jump.

"Caspian, his sword!"

"Lord Rhoop!" Caspian cried, rushing forward and shouting to his men, "Stand down!"

Seconds later, the Lord Rhoop was deposited onto the deck of the Dawn Treader by Eustace, which (although it was a well-meaning action) did nothing to calm the already agitated man. It was apparent that he had suffered for a long time in terror, and was indeed on the brink of full blown madness. Up close, the Lord Rhoop was even more skeletal in appearance that he had seemed before. Upon being addressed by Caspian, he became marginally less hysterical, but his urgency to leave Dark Island was strong. Not one among them protested the idea, and the crew made haste to turn the Dawn Treader around.

Edmund could scarcely believe it: they had the seventh sword. They had Lord Rhoop. The Dawn Treader would soon be sailing back toward Ramandu's Island and the spell would be lifted. It was almost too much; Edmund could not help feeling rather caught off guard.

"Do not think!" Lord Rhoop cautioned them, nearly sobbing, "Do not let it know your fears or it will become them!"

No sooner than the words had left the old man's lips, an image that Edmund had once seen in a book flashed through his mind. He tried to suppress the thought, but as with any thought that one tries _not_ to think, it would not be banished.

"Oh no," he groaned.

"Edmund!" Lucy cried, "_What_ did you just think of?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Edmund moaned as he rushed to the side of the ship. He caught a glimpse of something dark slithering beneath the waves.

_What?_ he chided himself, _Did you really think that it was going to be that easy?_


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, I really didn't abandon this story! There was a lot of stuff that happened over the holiday season and writing had to take the back burner for a little while. Thank you for your patience, and your wonderful feedback. I apologize that I have not been responding to reviews, but they are very much appreciated. **

**Ideas, names, etc. still belong to the respective owners and whatnot. **

**Without any further ado... here's the next chapter!**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 17~<strong>

_**Caspian**_

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Edmund rushed to the side of the ship.

The Dawn Treader gave a mighty jolt as something scraped along the underside. Caspian leaned over the bulwark. The dark water churned and a slimy, sinuous mass slid up from the surface and dipped back below.

"Look!" he pointed in horror. "What is that?"

"It's too late," Lord Rhoop cried, the hysteria mounting in his voice, "It's too late!"

Caspian searched the waters frantically for a sign of the mysterious creature, looking for a sign of attack.

"It's gone under the boat!" yelled a man, and at the same moment Caspian heard Lucy shriek.

"Gael!"

The King spun around just in time to see a gigantic finned tail burst from the water just beyond the opposite side of the deck where Gael was huddled in a petrified ball. The tail splashed mightily down, narrowly missing the boat, and from the roiling water arose the grotesque form of an enormous sea serpent. The monster advanced on the Dawn Treader emitting bone-chilling shrieking sounds, its beady yellow eyes fixed on the deck. The crew, terrified and miniature in comparison with the creature, held their ground. Caspian felt as though his knees were literally shaking as he watched the tentacles around the serpent's mouth quivering in anticipation of the kill.

Suddenly, a jet of flame came shooting out of the grey fog and hit the serpent square in the face. Caspian blinked in surprise as a dragon came diving out of the mist and attached himself to the now thrashing monster.

_Eustace!_

Compared to the creature, Eustace appeared small, like a gerbil attacking a Great Dane. Still he clung to the horrible head and clawed at its awful face. The sea serpent twisted and turned, whipping its enormous head from side to side. Eustace was flung away from the beast. Caspian held his breath and let it out as Eustace righted himself just before hitting the water. For a brief second he felt relief, but then the serpent exploded from the water and snatched Eustace into its mouth.

The two Pevensies rushed to the edge as their cousin was pulled beneath the waves. Caspian stumbled up beside Edmund and gripped his arm. Everyone watched in horror as Eustace was hurled into a rock with a sickening crunch. The monster appeared triumphant as it moved in on Eustace's crumpled body. It lunged at the dragon, but just as it did Eustace let loose an enormous ball of fire that ignited the serpent's head. The creature screeched in agony and retreated into the water to extinguish the flames.

Before anyone could fully process what had happened, Caspian felt someone pushing past him.

"Out, creature!" Lord Rhoop screamed, and hurled his sword over the side.

"No! The sword!" Caspian shouted, following it with his eyes as it flew straight at Eustace and embedded itself in his scaly shoulder.

"Eustace!" Lucy cried.

Eustace convulsed in pain and wrenched himself from the rock. He launched into an unsteady flight and disappeared back into the gloom.

"No, come back!" Lucy called after him.

Lord Rhoop, who had lost his head completely, forced his way to the helm and took control of the ship. Caspian started after him but was knocked from his feet as the ship lurched from another impact.

"Someone stop him!" Caspian yelled, hoping that a crew member would hear him.

Drinian was forced to incapacitate the raving Lord Rhoop in order to regain control of the Dawn Treader. The rowing crew piled below deck and the remaining crew armed themselves as best they could. Caspian began stumbling towards the helm and caught sight of Lucy helping Gael to her feet.

"Get her off the deck!" he shouted to Lucy.

Rhince caught his King's eye and gave a brief nod of gratitude just as the serpent burst over the side and slithered over the deck. The Dawn Treader creaked and cracked as the creature wrapped itself around the ship, squeezing it within its coils. The ship rocked violently and cargo shifted. Caspian steadied himself and forced himself to take deep breaths. The monster once more drew itself up off the port side, still holding the ship captive.

Out of the corner of his eye, Caspian caught sight of another shadow behind the serpent. Jagged rocks jutted from the water like broken teeth. A haphazard plan began to form in the Telmarine's mind and he searched for Edmund in the scrum of men and cargo. He found the dark haired boy mid-deck, hacking fruitlessly at the creature's midsection.

"Ed!" Caspian yelled.

Edmund looked up, just barely visible over the slippery side of their attacker. Caspian jerked his head towards the rocks.

"We'll ram the serpent. Smash him on the rocks!"

Edmund picked up the thread of Caspian's idea immediately. He surveyed the rocks and spoke even as he started moving towards the prow of the Dawn Treader.

"Steer her to port!" he shouted. "I'll keep it on the prow!"

The serpent lunged and Edmund was forced to dodge away from the creature's maw. Caspian's heart skipped several beats and he set his jaw as he began to force the ship around.

_**Edmund**_

Edmund shimmied his body feet first out into the front of the dragon's mouth. Pulling his torch from his belt, he aimed the beam right into the serpent's face. It snorted and squealed in agitation, swinging its enormous head back and forth.

"Try and kill me, come on!" Edmund challenged it, drawing it around the front of the Dawn Treader. "C'mon! I'm here!"

With alarming speed, the monster struck and the top half of the dragon's head was splintered. Moving quickly, Edmund scrambled over the top and perched precariously atop the remains of the dragon's head. Now level with the serpent, he turned to taunt it again.

"I'm still here!" he cried, pointing Rhindon into the creature's gaping mouth and bracing himself for another attack.

_Whoosh!_

Something flew over Edmund's shoulder, missing his right ear by mere centimeters. The arrow found its mark and embedded itself deep in the serpent's face. It let out an ear-splitting shriek and reared back in pain. Edmund craned his neck around and squinted down toward the deck. A woman's figure stood below, lowering a bow to her side.

_Susan? _he thought. In a flash of lightning, he saw not his older sister, but his younger sister with Susan's bow in hand and a quiver of arrows on her back. Lucy the Valient was a picture of strength and beauty standing on the deck of the Dawn Treader, and Edmund felt a welling of brotherly pride.

"Brace yourselves!" Caspian's voice carried from the helm.

The serpent made to lunge forward again just as the Dawn Treader rammed into it, slamming it against the ragged rocks. The creature let out a sound like a chorus of nails on a thousand chalk boards. Without thinking, Edmund took a flying leap from the forecastle. He hit the serpent's coil once and bounced to the deck. Pain shot through his body and he rolled several times. Half way through the second roll, the world went black.

* * *

><p>"Ed! Edmund!"<p>

Strong hands were shaking him, the voice was begging, almost sobbing.

"Ed! Get up, Ed!"

Edmund groaned and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Every inch of his body ached and his head throbbed.

"Edmund," Caspian's arms steadied him, "Ed, I thought… I thought…"

"'M fine," Edmund slurred, gripping Caspian's arm partially in reassurance and partially for balance.

He looked up. It appeared that he had only lost consciousness for less than a minute. The serpent writhed in agony, an unnatural light glowing from within. As they watched, it seemed to unravel and revealed rows and rows of deadly looking pincers. It bore down on Edmund. Still partially dazed, all he could do was stare in horror. His legs were frozen.

"MOVE!" Caspian tackled him and the serpent struck the deck where Edmund had stood just a second earlier.

In one fluid motion, Caspian rolled to his feet and brought a blade down on one of the serpent's many centipede-like legs. It fell to the deck and dissolved into smoke. The two Kings watched it disappear and looked at one another.

"We can beat this," Caspian said.

Edmund nodded, full mobility returned to his body. He stood and picked up Rhindon.

* * *

><p>As he scrambled up the rigging, Edmund kept one eye on the action below. The crew let their harpoons fly at the serpent on Caspian's command and the ship shuddered as they struggled to bring the gigantic head lower. As Edmund heaved himself into the crow's nest, the monster's head began to bow slowly.<p>

_"What are you trying to prove, Edmund? That you're a man?" _

The Just King turned to face his old enemy. Her smoky face hovered before him, poisonous green eyes flickering in the eerie light. Below, Caspian and the crew's efforts were being rewarded with the downward progression of serpent's head even as it strained against the ropes.

"_I can make you that. I can make you my king. He can't; he won't. He doesn't love you, Edmund. Caspian is using you; he's leeching from your greatness."_

"Edmund!" Caspian cried from the deck.

Edmund stared at the White Witch. He found that she no longer tempted him in any way, only repulsed him. A rope snapped and the creature partially regained its head as it thrashed about.

_"He would let you die so that he can have all the glory. Don't let him take your glory. Just take my hand. Just give in."_

"You're wrong," Edmund told the Witch, "I don't want glory, and neither does he. We have something better, and you could never understand it. I would gladly die for him. Without him... I am nothing."

In his hands, his sword suddenly shone a brilliant blue. They both looked down at it and fear overcame the Witch's features.

"DO IT!" Caspian shouted.

Edmund turned his back on the White Witch to face the serpent.

"COME ON!" he yelled.

The monster shot forward. Edmund thrust his full weight behind his sword and sunk the blade hilt deep into the roof of the serpent's mouth. The impact jarred his shoulder and it felt like knives were being driven into his back. The White Witch screamed somewhere behind him.

As Edmund yanked the blade free, bolts of electricity enveloped the serpent as it fell heavily backwards into the water with a tremendous splash. The monster disappeared beneath the boiling surface and sank from sight. There was no sign of the White Witch or the Mist. Edmund slumped against the mast and closed his eyes.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Hullo *smiles sheepishly*... I'm back :) I know I've been away for a looooong time, but life has been life and this story had to be shelved for a bit. However, I've pulled it down and dusted off the cobwebs, so here's the (almost) ending. I have a final chapter, which was written ages ago, but I want to polish it up a bit. I promise, promise, promise that it will be up soon. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and I'm so sorry that you have had to wait for this chapter.  
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**I still do not own or have any rights to any Narnian ideas, characters, places, concepts, etc. - but I still enjoy playing with them!  
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><p><strong>~Chapter 18~<strong>

_**Edmund**_

Through the lids of his eyes, Edmund sensed a lightening in the world around him. Using what felt like the very last of his strength, the Just King opened his eyes. A single ray of light had broken through the dark clouds that surrounded them. As he watched, light continued to dissolve the darkness and Dark Island evaporated around the Dawn Treader. Warmth spread through Edmund's chilled, aching body and with the warmth came a return of strength. The searing pain in his back and shoulder dulled to a throbbing ache.

Edmund carefully began his descent towards the deck. Below him, men were picking themselves up and taking inventory of injuries. No one seemed in immediate danger, though they all looked a bit worse for the wear.

"Edmund!" Lucy's voice rang up from the deck, clear as a bell. "Caspian! Look!"

Lucy, already on her feet, wore the smile that had won the hearts of every Narnian of the Golden Age. Edmund grinned back at his sister and searched the deck for Caspian. He found the King mid-deck, rising slowly and still looking slightly shocked. His eyes found Edmund's and a look of relief and love washed over his Telmarine features. Edmund scrambled the rest of the way down as fast as his protesting muscles would allow and ran to pull both Caspian and Lucy into an embrace.

"Narnians!" someone shouted.

From out of a wonderfully benign, normal mist emerged a fleet of boats. Rhince, with Gael in his arms, struggled to the front of the crowd. Lucy laid a hand on the shoulder of Gael, who searched anxiously through the faces in the boats. Her sharp eyes found what they sought just seconds before her father's did.

"Mummy!" Gael cried.

"Helaine!" Rhince leaped into the water after Gael, who was already swimming towards her mother.

Edmund recognized the expression of homesickness that overtook Lucy's face. He gently left Caspian's arms and went to wrap one of his own around his sister. He gave the girl's shoulders a gentle hug. As they watched the reunited family, a pang of homesickness hit him as well.

_**Caspian**_

"Let's get them on board!" Caspian shouted to his crew. "Clear the decks!"

Caspian beamed at Edmund and Lucy as he joined them and lightly squeezed Lucy's shoulder.

"We did it," Lucy beamed back at the King. "I knew we would."

"It wasn't just us, though," Edmund reminded them.

"You mean…" Caspian cocked his head.

"Hey!" a voice spluttered from over the side of the Dawn Treader. "I'm down here! Lucy! Over here, I'm in the water. Lucy!"

The three Narnian royals exchanged astonished looks as they approached the splintered side of the ship.

"Eustace!" Lucy exclaimed delightedly.

"I'm a boy again!" Eustace gestured enthusiastically, floundered slightly, and regained his balance. "I'm a boy!"

As Reepicheep joined his comrade in the water, Caspian caught Edmund's eye over the top of Lucy's fair hair. Their eyes met and Caspian knew that the sad smile on his love's face mirrored his own. Their journey's end was very near now.

"Look!" Reepicheep chirruped from Eustace's shoulder. His nose pointed east. "Look!"

They all turned to observe the Eastern horizon.

"Aslan's country," Caspian stated, his voice full of both wonder and regret. "Must be close."

There was no doubt in Caspian's mind that Aslan's country is where he and Edmund would have to part. That is where their journey would truly end. One look at Edmund's face told him that the Just King knew this as well. As Edmund held his gaze, Caspian felt his acceptance of their parting threatening to dissolve. He took a deep draught of the sweet, fragrant air and fought the tightening in his chest.

"Well," Edmund looked out towards the horizon and then back to Caspian, "We've come this far…"

Caspian did not trust himself to speak, so he merely nodded. They had come this far, through hell and out the other side. This would be their final and greatest trial: saying goodbye.

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><p>The water became too shallow for the Dawn Treader to proceed any further. The crew dropped anchor and everyone took time to rest and rejoice. Caspian, the Pevensies, Eustace, and Reepicheep boarded a longboat and continued east. With Edmund and Caspian rowing side by side, they cut a path through a field of floating white blossoms. They exchanged stories with Eustace, who recounted to them his first encounter with Aslan. The sun shone down without scorching them and Caspian felt peaceful. He irrationally hoped that perhaps there mightn't be anything east and they could all turn around and return to Narnia.<p>

All too soon, though, Reepicheep announced that they had arrived at their destination. A great wave curled over a pristine beach that stretched infinitely in either direction. Over the top of the wave, they could just glimpse mountains soaring majestically to meet the sky. The group disembarked and approached the towering wall of ocean.

"Aslan."

Caspian looked around at the sound of Eustace's voice. The sandy haired boy had been the first to notice the Great Lion keeping pace with them.

"Welcome children," Aslan rumbled at them, "You have done well – very well, indeed. You have come far. Now your journey is at its end."

Caspian exhaled softly and looked down at the sand. A pale hand slipped into his and squeezed it gently.

"Is this your country?" Lucy asked Aslan.

"No," Aslan gestured toward the wave with his regal head, "My country lies beyond."

Caspian gave Edmund's hand a reciprocating caress before letting go and stepping forward.

"Is my father in your country?"

Aslan fixed his penetrating golden stare on Caspian.

"You can only find that out for yourself, my son," he replied, "But you should know that if you continue, there is no return."

Caspian approached the rushing water and placed his hand to interrupt the flow. He reflected on everything that had transpired in the years since his flight from Miraz's castle. He thought of all the doubts and insecurities he'd had, and he thought of Edmund and how the Just King had eased those apprehensions. He thought of what Aslan had told him of his future. After what seemed like a long time, Caspian pulled his hand from the wave and turned back to the others.

_**Edmund**_

For a brief moment, as Caspian stood before the gateway to Aslan's country, Edmund wondered if they could both continue in the Lion's realm and stay there together. Caspian turned from the wave and looked back at them, and Edmund knew in his heart that they could not. They both had responsibilities elsewhere that could not be abandoned.

"Children," Aslan turned to the Pevensies.

Lucy looked at the Lion expectantly, a hopeful light in her sparkling blue eyes.

"I think perhaps it's time we went home, actually, Lu," Edmund said gently.

His younger sister looked almost as if he had betrayed her. She looked towards Caspian and then back to her brother's face.

"But I thought you loved it here," Lucy searched Edmund's eyes with her own, begging for an explanation.

"I do," he swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to collect the words to make his sister understand, "But I love home, and our family as well."

He paused, willing himself not to let the tears that welled up in his eyes fall.

"They need us," he told her softly.

Lucy turned from her brother with her head bent and her hair hiding her face, but she knew that he was right.

As they watched Eustace's tearful farewell with Reepicheep, Edmund noted how very much his cousin had changed. He added this to the mental list of reasons that they must leave. Eustace had been brought to Narnia to learn, and now he must take his learned wisdom back to their world, just as Edmund and Lucy must.

"This is our last time here isn't," Lucy choked out, her freckled cheeks shining with tears. It was a statement more than a question.

"Yes," Aslan confirmed. "You have grown up, my dear one. Just like Peter and Susan."

Edmund watched Lucy and Aslan as if from a great distance. He felt paralyzed and his breath caught in his lungs.

"Will we meet again?" Lucy asked Aslan.

"Yes, dear one," the Lion purred softly, "One day."

Edmund looked toward Caspian, the pair of them clearly of one mind. Could they, one day, meet again as well? His heart ached with both hope and despair at the possibility.

Aslan faced the wave and let out a mighty roar that Edmund felt in his very bones. The water rippled and a giant, swirling tunnel appeared. Edmund felt the portal calling to them, pulling them home. It was time.

He faced Caspian.

"You're the closest thing I have to family," Caspian addressed the three otherworlders.

Caspian gripped Eustace's shoulder warmly and turned to Edmund. The ache in Edmund's chest swelled as he wrapped his arms around his beloved. He nuzzled his face into Caspian's neck, breathing in and memorizing the scent that would stay with him forever. It was the scent of Narnia and of happiness and love. With great effort, they pulled apart.

Edmund approached Aslan. He no longer felt anger or bitterness towards the Lion, but words would not form. Aslan looked into his eyes, and seemingly into his very soul. The ache in Edmunds chest abated and a sense of peace settled in his heart. He bowed to the Great Lion and moved aside to let his sister rush forward.

He faced Caspian for the last time. There were no words left to be said. Caspian pulled him in for one last kiss, long and sweet. Edmund tangled his fingers in the back of Caspian's shirt, clinging to their last moment together. Caspian placed his hands on either side of Edmund's pale face and they looked deep into each other's eyes, an unspoken oath. Edmund released Caspian's shirt and the two Kings of Narnia touched foreheads for a long moment before separating.

Caspian gave Edmund's hand a final, reassuring squeeze and Edmund started towards the portal. The tips of their fingers were the last to part, lingering for a second. Edmund stood in the tunnel and turned to lock his gaze with Caspian's. He was joined by Lucy and Eustace, and the water began to curl inwards and close on them. His eyes stayed with Caspian's until the very instant when the wave collapsed. Edmund's very last image of Narnia was the eyes of a King, shining with love.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Here it is, the long overdue finale. This ending was originally going to be much, much shorter (which is how the story was originally going to be). However, when I went back to polish it up, I ended up wanting to write more. It felt like there were unresolved issue that needed sorting, so I just carried on a bit. There are some book seriess tie-ins here, for those of you who have read the books. It should still make sense if you haven't, though. I feel like it is written differently from the other chapters, please let me know what you think.  
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**None of these characters, places, etc. are mine, all belong to respective owners.  
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**Finally, thanks a million to all of you who have stuck it out to the end with me. Cheers!**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 19~<strong>

_**Edmund**_

The second that Edmund's skin touched the air of his home world, it was dry again. He could feel his hair settling back into a tamed, combed state that was so different from the tousled, windswept manner that it adopted in Narnia. His Cambridge clothes felt constricting and foreign.

"Euuuuuuustace!" Aunt Alberta's clarion voice screeched up the stairs. "Euuuuuustace! What _are_ you doing up there?!"

Edmund glanced at his cousin, who looked slightly abashed. The Eustace who sat on the floor of the attic room was an entirely different boy from the Eustace who had been dumped into the middle of the Eastern Sea. In a way, Eustace reminded Edmund of himself after his first adventure into Narnia. They had both been very much changed by their experiences in Narnia, and both were ashamed of who they had been previously.

Edmund watched as the last of the Eastern Sea swirled into the frame, lapped at the edges, and disappeared like the last puddle vanishing at the end of spring. Lucy, always the Valient Queen, lifted the corners of her lips in a bittersweet smile, but her eyes sparkled with tears of loss and grief. Edmund's heart and soul screamed in anguish, but his body felt numb. He could sense his cousin and sister watching him, pity in their eyes, but unsure of what to say.

Eustace rose first and retrieved the painting from the floor. Edmund forced himself to stand. His limbs felt as heavy as his heart. At the doorway, he turned with Lucy and they watched as Eustace carefully replaced the painting on the attic wall. As they watched, the waves began to move again. A light breeze carried the smell of the sea and of Narnia to the Just King. The Great Eastern Sea carried the Dawn Treader's purple sails over the horizon and out of sight. The painting stilled and was once more ordinary. The portal to Narnia had closed.

Edmund clung to the scent and let it comfort him. Though his sorrow remained, it was no longer a crippling agony. He breathed easier and his heart felt a little lighter. With one last, long look at the painting, Edmund offered his cousin a small smile and turned to go. As he descended the stairs, Edmund heard Lucy shut the door with a very final sounding click.

* * *

><p>The first few months after their final return from Narnia were rough on Edmund. He felt restless in Cambridge, and there was little to distract him from his memories. Lucy was his greatest source of comfort. Once they left the Scrubb residence, she was the only one who knew what Edmund had truly left behind in Narnia. Upon the reunion of all the Pevensie children, Peter and Susan were eager to hear of their younger siblings' latest adventure in Narnia. Edmund let Lucy do most of the recounting, contributing only enough to ward off suspicion. The pain was too fresh for him.<p>

A year after leaving Cambridge, Eustace wrote to the Pevensies of his second adventure in Narnia. Among other things, he broke the news to them of Caspian's death. He informed them that before entering Aslan's country, Caspian had been granted permission by the Lion himself to see England. The news hit Edmund hard. Lucy tried her best to console him, as she had so many times before, but he was beyond even his sister's ministrations. Peter was baffled by his younger brother's reaction and by Lucy's refusal to explain. For a whole week, they did not see Edmund. He disappeared completely, and the Pevensies feared that he was a danger to himself.

One night Peter came home to find Edmund sitting on the front step and wearing the same clothes he had left in. Peter sat down with his brother and said nothing. They sat there for a long while, the two Kings of the Golden Age of Narnia, in silence. And then, Edmund began to talk. He told Peter a very different story of Narnia than had ever been told. It was not an eloquent story. It was a story that faltered and stumbled awkwardly from sentence to sentence. Edmund traced the progression of his relationship with Caspian from the beginning. And then, when there was no more to say, he returned to silence and put his head in his hands. Peter looked at Edmund and still he said nothing. Instead, Peter the Magnificent wrapped his little brother in a hug and let him cry on his shoulder like a small child.

* * *

><p>The Pevensies moved on with their lives. With time, Edmund began to find it easier to cope. He absorbed himself in numerous hobbies and studied everything. He became closer with Peter, the way they had been when they ruled Narnia together. They maintained contact with their cousin, as well as with Professor Digory Kirke and Aunt Polly. Susan, however, began to drift away from her siblings. She became absorbed with what she called "grown-up activities", and wrote their stories off as silly childhood fantasies. For the rest of the Narnian Royals, though, Narnia remained very much a part of them. Their memories of Narnia never faded, nor did Edmund's love for Caspian.<p>

The children grew into young adults (for the second time in the Pevensie's case). Seven years passed without so much as a whisper from Narnia. And then it came. A vision of Tirian, the last King of Narnia appeared to the Pevensies and the other friends of Narnia. Within a week, they were preparing to send Eustace and his friend Jill back to Narnia on a rescue mission. As Edmund stood waiting on a railway platform with Peter, he felt the strangest tingling creep up his spine.

"_Edmund."_

Edmund's heart stuttered at Caspian's voice and he turned, searching for the face that he saw every time he closed his eyes.

"What is it, Ed?" Peter asked, twisting his head round to see what had agitated his brother.

There was no one. A loud roaring came from behind him, and Edmund turned back around to face the tracks. There was a terrific bang and a flash of light, and Edmund the Just and Peter the Magnificent left England for the last time.

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><p><em><strong>Caspian<strong>_

King Caspian did indeed marry Ramandu's daughter, but he never forsook the love that he had for King Edmund the Just, nor did he ever stop missing him. Before taking Liliandil as his wife, Caspian had cautioned her that although he would love and care for her, his heart belonged to another. Liliandil understood and accepted that there was a part of Caspian that would never be for her. She did not hassle or resent him, for she was the daughter of a star and was not jealous or spiteful. Liliandil was a great source of comfort for Caspian, and he did grow to care very much for his Queen. Years later, Liliandil was murdered and Caspian mourned the loss and missed her dearly.

Much time passed for Caspian, though only a few years went by for Edmund. When the King had grown very old and had died, he was borne away to Aslan's country. There he encountered Eustace Scrubb for a second time. Eustace and a girl named Jill Pole were to be returned to their world after rescuing and having an adventure with Caspian's son, Rilian. The title of King of Narnia had passed to Rilian. Caspian could not resist asking Aslan if he might be allowed to see, just once, the other world from which the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve came. The Lion granted Caspian's wish and permitted him to escort the children back to their home world. Caspian, having been returned to his youthful self upon his death, spent no more than five minutes in the foreign world. In his last moment there he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, letting the light of the alien sun caress his skin.

_Edmund. _

And then he was back in Aslan's country, where even his greatest hurt, that of losing Edmund, was washed away. There was no pain or sorrow in the Lion's kingdom and Caspian now knew that he would, in time, be with Edmund once more. Caspian was reunited with his father and Liliandil and they resided in Aslan's realm in peace with them and with many others who had been there before him and those who eventually joined them.

Edmund and the other friends of Narnia were returned to Narnia one last time to witness its final moments, and then they too were ushered into Aslan's country. When Edmund arrived at last, Caspian was there to greet him with open arms and a heart full of love. The two Kings of Narnia found each other's gaze and it was as though every second that they had been separated was erased. "You can not want wrong things anymore, now that you have died..." Aslan had told Caspian. After a lifetime apart and the end of a world, Caspian still wanted nothing more or less than to be with Edmund.


End file.
